Bppletons' 
Uowm  an&  Country 


No.  179 


A   BID   FOR   FORTUNE 


(OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  AN< 


A   BID   FOR   FORTUNE 


A   NOl/EL 


BY 

GUY   BOOTHBY 

AUTHOR    OF    ON    THE    WALLABY,    THE    MARRIAGE    OF    ESTHER,    ETC. 


NEW    YORK 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 
1895 


COPYRIGHT,  1895, 
BY  D.   APPLETON  AND  COMPANY. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

PROLOGUE. — DR.  NIKOLA 1 

PART  I. 

CHAPTER. 

I. — I     DETERMINE     TO     TAKE     A     HOLIDAY. — SYDNEY,     AND 

WHAT   BEFELL   ME   THERE 14 

II. — MY    FIRST    EXPERIENCE    IN    LONDON  .  .  .37 

III. — THE    HOME   OF   MY   ANCESTORS 53 

IV. — I   SAVE   AN   IMPORTANT   LIFE 72 

V._ MYSTERY .83 

VI.— I  MEET  DR.  NIKOLA  AGAIN 101 

VII. — PORT  SAID  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  us  THERE    .        .        .  122 

VIII. — OUR   IMPRISONMENT   AND   ATTEMPT   AT   ESCAPE        .  .    140 

IX. — DR.  NIKOLA  PERMITS  us  A  FREE  PASSAGE   .        .        .  156 

,  PART   II. 

I. — WE  REACH  AUSTRALIA,  AND  THE  RESULT    .        .        .  174 

II.— ON   THE   TRAIL 192 

III. — LORD  BECKENHAM'S  STORY 212 

IV. — FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUK 236 

V. — THE    ISLANDS   AND   WHAT    WE   FOUND   THERE  .  .  .   268 

VI.— CONCLUSION    ,  ...  288 


2125751 


A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 


PKOLOGUE. 

DR.    NIKOLA. 

THE  manager  of  the  new  Imperial  Restaurant  on 
the  Thames  Embankment  went  into  his  luxurious  pri 
vate  office  and  shut  the  door.  Having  done  so,  he  first 
scratched  his  chin  reflectively  and  then  took  a  letter 
from  the  drawer  in  which  it  had  lain  for  the  past  two 
months  and  perused  it  carefully.  Though  he  was  not 
aware  of  it,  this  made  the  thirtieth  time  he  had  read  it 
since  breakfast  that  morning.  And  yet  he  was  not  a 
whit  nearer  understanding  it  than  he  had  been  at  the 
beginning.  He  turned  it  over  and  scrutinized  the  back, 
where  not  a  sign  of  writing  was  to  be  seen ;  he  held  it 
up  to  the  window  as  if  he  might  hope  to  discover  some 
thing  from  the  watermark ;  but  there  was  evidently 
nothing  in  either  of  these  places  of  a  nature  calculated 
to  set  his  troubled  mind  at  rest.  Though  he  had  a  clock 
upon  his  mantelpiece  in  good  going  order,  he  took  a 
magnificent  repeater  watch  from  his  waistcoat  pocket 
and  glanced  at  the  dial ;  the  hands  stood  at  half-past 
seven.  He  threw  the  letter  on  the  table,  and  as  he  did 
so  his  anxiety  found  relief  in  words. 

"  It's  really  the  most  extraordinary  affair  I  ever  had 
to  do  with,"  he  remarked  to  the  placid  face  of  the  clock 
above  mentioned.  "And  I've  been  in  the  business  just 


2  A   BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

three-and-thirty  years  at  eleven  a.  m.  next  Monday 
morning.  I  only  hope  I've  done  right,  that's  all." 

As  he  spoke  the  chief  bookkeeper,  who  had  the  treble 
advantage  of  being  tall,  pretty,  and  just  eight-and-t\venty 
years  of  age,  entered  the  room.  She  noticed  the  open 
letter  and  the  look  upon  her  chief's  face,  and  her  curi 
osity  was  proportionately  excited. 

"  You  seem  worried,  Mr.  McPherson,"  she  said  softly, 
putting  down  the  papers  she  had  brought  in  for  his  sig 
nature. 

"  You  have  just  hit  it,  Miss  O'Sullivan,"  he  answered, 
pushing  them  further  on  to  the  table.  "  I  am  worried 
about  many  things,  but  particularly  about  this  letter." 

He  handed  the  epistle  to  her,  and  being  desirous  of 
impressing  him  with  her  business  capabilities,  she  read 
it  with  ostentatious  care.  But  it  was  noticeable  that 
when  she  reached  the  signature  she  too  turned  back  to 
the  beginning,  and  then  deliberately  read  it  over  again. 
The  manager  rose,  crossed  to  the  mantelpiece,  and  rang 
for  the  head  waiter.  Having  relieved  his  feelings  in 
this  way,  he  seated  himself  again  at  his  writing  table, 
put  on  his  glasses,  and  stared  at  his  companion,  waiting 
for  her  to  speak. 

"  It's  very  funny,"  she  said  at  length,  seeing  that 
she  was  expected  to  say  something.  "  Very  funny,  in 
deed  ! " 

"  It's  the  most  extraordinary  communication  I  ever 
received,"  he  replied  with  conviction.  "  You  see  it  is 
written  from  Cuyaba,  Brazil.  The  date  is  three  months 
ago  to  a  day.  Now  I  have  taken  the  trouble  to  find  out 
where  and  what  Cuyaba  is." 

He  made  this  confession  with  an  air  of  conscious 
pride,  and  having  done  it  laid  himself  back  in  his  chair, 
stuck  his  thumbs  into  the  arm-holes  of  his  waistcoat, 


DR.   NIKOLA.  3 

and  looked  at  his  fair  subordinate  for  approval.  Nor 
was  he  destined  to  be  disappointed.  He  was  a  bachelor 
in  possession  of  a  snug  income,  and  she,  besides  being  a 
pretty  woman,  was  a  lady  with  a  decided  eye  to  the 
main  chance. 

"And  where  is  Cuyaba?"  she  asked  humbly. 

"  Cuyaba,"  he  replied,  rolling  his  tongue  with  con 
siderable  relish  round  his  unconscious  mispronuncia 
tion  of  the  name,  "  is  a  town  almost  on  the  western  or 
Bolivian  border  of  Brazil.  It  is  of  moderate  size,  is 
situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Cuyaba,  and  is  con 
siderably  connected  with  the  famous  Brazilian  Diamond 
Fields." 

"  And  does  the  writer  of  this  letter  live  there?" 

"  I  cannot  say.  He  writes  from  there,  that  is  enough 
for  us." 

"  And  he  orders  dinner  for  four — here,  in  a  private 
room  overlooking  the  river,  three  months  ahead — punc 
tually  at  eight  o'clock,  gives  you  a  list  of  the  things  he 
wants,  and  even  arranges  the  decoration  of  the  table. 
Says  he  has  never  seen  either  of  his  three  friends  be 
fore,  that  one  of  them  hails  from  (here  she  consulted 
the  letter  again)  Hang-chow,  another  from  Bloemfontein, 
while  the  third  is,  at  present,  in  England.  Each  one  is 
to  present  a  plain  visiting  card  with  a  red  dot  on  it  to 
the  porter  in  the  hall,  and  to  be  shown  to  the  room  at 
once.  I  don't  understand  it  at  all." 

The  manager  paused  for  a  moment  and  then  said 
deliberately : 

"  Hang-chow  is  in  China,  Bloemfontein  is  in  South 
Africa." 

"  What  a  wonderful  man  you  are  to  be  sure,  Mr. 
McPherson  !  I  never  can  think  how  you  manage  to 
carry  so  much  in  your  head." 


4  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

There  spoke  the  true  woman.  And  it  was  a  move 
in  the  right  direction,  for  the  manager  was  susceptible 
to  her  gentle  influence,  as  she  had  occasion  to  know. 

At  this  juncture  the  head  waiter  appeared  upon  the 
scene,  and  took  up  a  position  just  inside  the  doorway  as 
if  he  were  afraid  of  injuring  the  carpet  by  coming  any 
further. 

"  Is  No.  22  ready,  Williams  ?  " 

"  Quite  ready,  sir.  The  wine  is  on  the  ice,  and 
cook  tells  me  he'll  be  ready  to  dish  punctual  to  the 
moment." 

"  The  letter  says  '  no  electric  light,  candles  with  red 
shades.'  Have  you  put  on  those  shades  I  got  this  morn- 
ing?" 

"  Just  seen  it  done  this  very  minute,  sir." 

"  And  let  me  see,  there  was  one  other  thing."  He 
took  the  letter  from  the  chief  bookkeeper's  hand  and 
glanced  at  it.  "  Ah,  yes,  a  porcelain  saucer,  and  a  small 
jug  of  new  milk  upon  the  mantelpiece.  An  extraordi 
nary  request,  but  has  it  been  attended  to  ?  " 

"  I  put  it  there  myself,  sir." 

"Who  wait?" 

"Jones,  Edmunds,  Brooks,  and  Tomkins." 

"Very  good!  Then  I  think  that  will  do.  Stay. 
You  had  better  tell  the  hall  porter  to  look  out  for  three 
gentlemen  with  plain  visiting  cards  having  a  little  red 
spot  on  each.  Let  Brooks  stand  in  the  hall,  and  when 
they  arrive  tell  him  to  show  them  straight  up  to  the 
room." 

"  It  shall  be  done,  sir." 

The  head  waiter  left  the  room,  and  the  manager 
stretched  himself  in  his  chair,  yawned  by  way  of  show 
ing  his  importance,  and  then  said  solemnly : 

"  I  don't  believe  they'll  any  of  them  turn  up ;  but  if 


DR.  NIKOLA.  5 

they  do,  this  Dr.  Nikola,  whoever  he  may  be,  won't  be 
able  to  find  fault  with  my  arrangements." 

Leaving  the  dusty  high  road  of  Business,  they  wan 
dered  in  the  shady  bridle-paths  of  Love — to  the  end 
that  when  the  chief  bookkeeper  returned  to  her  own 
department,  she  had  forgotten  the  strange  dinner  party 
about  to  take  place  upstairs,  and  was  busily  engaged 
upon  a  calculation  as  to  how  she  would  look  in  white 
satin  and  orange  blossoms,  and  whether  it  was  true,  as 
Miss  Joyce,  a  subordinate,  had  been  heard  to  declare, 
that  the  manager  had  once  shown  himself  partial  to  a 
certain  widow  with  reputed  savings  and  a  share  in  an 
extensive  egg  and  dairy  business. 

At  ten  minutes  to  eight  precisely  a  hansom  drew  up 
at  the  steps  of  the  hotel.  An  undersized  gentleman, 
with  a  clean  shaven  countenance,  a  canonical  corpora 
tion,  and  bow  legs,  dressed  in  a  decided  clerical  garb, 
alighted.  He  paid  and  discharged  his  cabman,  and 
then  took  from  his  ticket  pocket  an  ordinary  white 
visiting  card,  which  he  presented  to  the  gold-laced  in 
dividual  who  had  opened  the  apron.  The  latter,  hav 
ing  noted  the  red  spot,  called  a  waiter,  and  the  reverend 
gentleman  was  escorted  upstairs. 

Hardly  had  the  attendant  time  to  return  to  his  sta 
tion  in  the  hall,  before  a  second  cab  made  its  appear 
ance,  closely  followed  by  a  third.  Out  of  the  second 
jumped  a  tall,  active,  well-built  man  of  about  thirty 
years  of  age.  He  was  dressed  in  evening  dress  of  the 
latest  fashion,  and  to  conceal  it  from  the  vulgar  gaze 
wore  a  large  Inverness  cape  of  heavy  texture.  He  also 
in  his  turn  handed  a  white  card  to  the  porter,  and  hav 
ing  done  so  proceeded  into  the  hall,  followed  by  the 
occupant  of  the  other  cab,  who  had  closely  copied  his 
example.  This  individual  was  also  in  evening  dress, 


6  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

but  it  was  of  a  different  stamp.  It  was  old-faslnoned 
and  had  seen  much  wear.  The  wearer,  too,  was  taller 
than  the  ordinary  run  of  men,  but  it  was  noticeable 
that  his  hair  was  snow-white,  and  that  his  face  was 
deeply  pitted  with  smallpox.  After  disposing  of  their 
hats  and  coats  in  an  ante-room,  they  reached  room  No. 
22,  where  they  found  the  gentleman  in  clerical  costume 
pacing  impatiently  up  and  down. 

Left  alone,  the  tallest  of  the  trio,  who  for  want  of  a 
better  title  we  may  call  the  Best  Dressed  Man,  took  out 
his  watch  and  having  looked  at  it,  glanced  at  his  com 
panions. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said  with  a  slight  American  accent, 
"  it  is  three  minutes  to  eight  o'clock.  My  name  is 
Eastover ! " 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  it,  for  I'm  most  uncommonly 
hungry,"  said  the  next  tallest,  whom  I  have  already  de 
scribed  as  being  so  marked  by  disease.  "  My  name  is 
Prendergast ! " 

"  "We  only  wait  for  our  friend  and  host,"  remarked 
the  clerical  gentleman,  as  if  he  felt  he  ought  to  take  a 
share  in  the  conversation,  and  then,  as  if  an  after 
thought  had  struck  him,  he  continued,  "  My  name  is 
Baxter ! " 

They  shook  hands  all  round  with  marked  cordiality, 
seated  themselves  again,  qnd  took  it  in  turns  to  examine, 
the  clock. 

"  Have  you  ever  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  our 
host  before  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Baxter  of  Mr.  Prendergast. 

"  Never,"  replied  that  gentleman  with  a  shake  of  his 
head.  "  Perhaps  Mr.  Eastover  has  been  more  fortunate  ?  " 

"Not  I,"  was  the  brief  rejoinder.  "I've  had  to  do 
with  him  off  and  on  for  longer  than  I  care  to  reckon, 
but  I've  never  set  eyes  on  him  up  to  date." 


DR.   NIKOLA.  7 

"  And  where  may  he  have  been  the  first  time  you 
heard  from  him  ?  " 

"  In  Nashville,  Tennessee,"  said  Eastover.  "  After 
that  Tahupapa,  New  Zealand ;  after  that  Papeete,  in 
the  Society  Islands ;  then  Pekin,  China.  And  you  ?  " 

"  First  time  Brussels,  second  Monte  Video,  third 
Mandalay,  and  then  the  Gold  Coast,  Africa.  It's  your 
turn,  Mr.  Baxter." 

The  clergyman  glanced  at  the  timepiece.  It  was 
exactly  eight  o'clock. 

"First  time  Cabul,  Afghanistan;  second,  Nijni 
Novgorod, .  Russia;  third  Wilcannia,  Darling  River, 
Australia;  fourth  Valparaiso,  Chili;  fifth  Nagasaki, 
Japan." 

"  He  is  evidently  a  great  traveller  and  a  most  mys 
terious  person." 

"  He  is  more  than  that,  he  is  late  for  dinner !  "  said 
Eastover. 

Prendergast  looked  at  his  watch. 

"  That  clock  is  two  minutes  fast.  Hark,  there  goes 
Big  Ben  !  Eight  exactly." 

As  he  spoke  the  door  was  thrown  open  and  a  voice 
announced  : 

"  Dr.  Nikola." 

The  three  men  sprang  to  their  feet  simultaneously 
with  exclamations  of  astonishment  as  the  man  they  had 
been  discussing  made  his  appearance. 

It  would  take  more  time  than  I  can  spare  the  sub 
ject  to  give  you  an  adequate  and  inclusive  description 
of  the  man  who  entered  the  room  at  that  moment.  In 
stature  he  was  slightly  above  the  middle  height,  his 
shoulders  were  broad,  his  limbs  perfectly  shaped  and 
plainly  muscular,  but  very  slim.  His  head,  which  wjis 
magnificently  set  upon  his  shoulders,  was  adorned  with 


8  A   BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

a  profusion  of  glossy  black  hair  ;  his  face  was  destitute 
of  beard  or  moustache,  and  was  of  oval  shape  and  hand 
some  moulding  ;  while  his  skin  was  of  a  dark  olive  hue, 
a  colour  which  harmonized  well  with  his  piercing  black 
eyes  and  hair.  His  hands  and  feet  were  small,  and  the 
greatest  dandy  must  have  admitted  that  he  was  irre 
proachably  dressed,  with  a  neatness  that  almost  bordered 
on  the  puritanical.  In  age  he  might  have  been  anything 
from  eight-and-twenty  to  forty;  in  reality  he  was  thirty- 
three.  He  advanced  into  the  room  and  walked  with 
outstretched  hand  directly  across  to  where  Eastover  was 
standing  by  the  fireplace. 

"  Mr.  Eastover,  I  feel  certain,"  he  said,  fixing  his 
glittering  eyes  upon  the  man  he  addressed,  and  allowing 
a  curious  smile  to  play  upon  his  face. 

"  That  is  my  name,  Dr.  Nikola,"  the  other  answered 
with  evident  surprise.  "  But  how  on  earth  can  you  dis 
tinguish  me  from  your  other  guests  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  it  would  surprise  you  if  you  knew.  And  Mr. 
Prendergast,  and  Mr.  Baxter.  This  is  delightful ;  I 
hope  I  am  not  late.  We  had  a  collision  in  the  Channel 
this  morning  and  I  was  almost  afraid  I  might  not  be 
up  to  time.  Dinner  seems  ready;  shall  we  sit  down 
to  it?" 

They  seated  themselves  and  the  meal  commenced. 
The  Imperial  Restaurant  has  earned  a  reputation  for 
doing  things  well,  and  the  dinner  that  night  did  not  in 
any  way  detract  from  its  lustre.  But  delightful  as  it  all 
was,  it  was  noticeable  that  the  three  guests  paid  more 
attention  to  their  host  than  to  his  excellent  menu.  As 
they  had  said  before  his  arrival,  they  had  all  had  deal 
ings  with  him  for  several  years,  but  what  those  dealings 
were  they  were  careful  not  to  describe.  Perhaps  they 
hardly  liked  to  remember  them  themselves. 


DR.   NIKOLA.  9 

When  coffee  had  been  served  and  the  servants  had 
withdrawn,  Dr.  Nikola  rose  from  the  table  and  went 
over  to  the  massive  sideboard.  On  it  stood  a  basket  of 
very  curious  shape  and  workmanship.  This  he  opened, 
and  as  he  did  so,  to  the  surprise  of  his  guests,  an  enor 
mous  cat,  as  black  as  his  master's  coat,  leaped  out  on 
to  the  floor.  The  reason  for  the  saucer  and  jug  of  milk 
became  evident. 

Seating  himself  at  the  table  again,  the  host  followed 
the  example  of  his  guests  and  lit  a  cigar,  blowing  a 
cloud  of  smoke  luxuriously  through  his  delicately  chis 
elled  nostrils.  His  eyes  wandered  round  the  cornice  of 
the  room,  took  in  the  pictures  and  decorations,  and  then 
came  down  to  meet  the  faces  of  his  companions.  As 
they  did  so,  the  black  cat,  having  finished  its  meal, 
sprang  on  to  his  shoulder  to  crouch  there,  watching 
the  three  men  through  the  curling  smoke  drift  with  its 
green,  blinking,  fiendish  eyes. 

Dr.  Nikola  smiled  as  he  noticed  the  effect  upon  his 
guests. 

"  Now  shall  we  get  to  business  ?  "  he  said  briskly. 

The  others  almost  simultaneously  knocked  the  ashes 
off  their  cigars  and  brought  themselves  to  attention. 
His  dainty,  languid  manner  seemed  to  drop  from  him 
like  a  cloak,  his  eyes  brightened,  and  his  voice  when  he 
spoke  was  clean  cut  as  chiselled  silver. 

"  You  are  doubtless  anxious  to  be  informed  why  I 
summoned  you  from  all  parts  of  the  globe  to  meet  me 
here  to-night  ?  And  it  is  very  natural  you  should  be. 
But  then  from  what  you  know  of  me  you  should  not  be 
surprised  at  anything  I  do." 

His  voice  dropped  back  into  its  old  tone  of  gentle 
languor.  He  drew  in  a  great  breath  of  smoke  and 
then  sent  it  slowly  out  from  his  lips  again.  His  eyes 


10  A  BID   FOR   FORTUNE. 

were  half  closed  and  he  drummed  with  one  finger  on 
the  table  edge.  The  cat  looked  through  the  smoke  at 
the  three  men,  and  it  seemed  to  them  that  every  mo 
ment  he  grew  larger  and  more  ferocious.  Presently  his 
owner  took  the  animal  from  his  perch  and  seating  him 
on  his  knee  fell  to  stroking  his  fur,  from  head  to  tail, 
with  his  long  slim  fingers.  It  was  as  if  he  were  drawing 
inspiration  for  some  deadly  mischief  from  the  uncanny 
beast. 

"  To  preface  what  I  have  to  say  to  you,  let  me  tell 
you  that  this  is  by  far  the  most  important  business  for 
which  I  have  ever  required  your  help.  (Three  slow 
strokes  down  the  centre  of  the  back  and  one  round 
each  ear.)  When  it  first  came  into  my  mind  I  was  at 
a  loss  who  to  trust  in  the  matter.  I  thought  of  Ven- 
don,  but  I  found  Vendon  was  dead.  I  thought  of 
Brownlow,  but  Brownlow  was  no  longer  faithful.  (Two 
strokes  down  the  back  and  two  on  the  throat.)  Then 
bit  by  bit  I  remembered  you.  I  was  in  Brazil  at  the 
time.  So  I  sent  for  you.  You  came,  and  we  meet 
here.  So  far  so  good." 

He  rose  and  crossed  over  to  the  fireplace.  As  he 
did  so  the  cat  crawled  back  to  its  original  position  on 
his  shoulder.  His  voice  changed  once  more  to  its  former 
business-like  tone. 

"  I  am  not  going  to  tell  you  very  much  about  it. 
But  from  what  I  do  tell  you,  you  will  be  able  to  gather 
a  great  deal  and  imagine  the  rest.  To  begin  with,  there 
is  a  man  living  in  this  world  to-day  who  has  done  me 
a  great  and  lasting  injury.  What  that  injury  is  is  no 
concern  of  yours.  You  would  not  understand  if  I  told 
you.  So  we'll  leave  that  out  of  the  question.  He  is 
immensely  rich.  His  cheque  for  £300,000  would  be 
honoured  by  his  bank  at  any  minute.  Obviously  he  is  a 


DR.  NIKOLA.  11 

power.  He  has  had  reason  to  know  that  I  am  pitting 
my  wits  against  his,  and  he  flatters  himself  that  so  far 
he  has  got  the  better  of  me.  That  is  because  I  am 
drawing  him  on.  I  am  maturing  a  plan  which  will 
make  him  a  poor  and  a  very  miserable  man  at  one  and 
the  same  time.  If  that  scheme  succeeds  and  I  am  satis 
fied  with  the  way  you  three  men  have  performed  the 
parts  I  shall  call  on  you  to  play  in  it,  I  shall  pay  to  each 
of  you  the  sum  of  £10,000.  If  it  doesn't  succeed  then 
you  will  each  receive  a  thousand  and  your  expenses.  Do 
you  follow  me  ?  " 

It  was  evident  from  their  faces  that  they  hung  upon 
every  word. 

"  But,  remember,  I  demand  from  you  your  whole 
and  entire  labour.  While  you  are  serving  me  you  are 
mine  body  and  soul.  I  know  you  are  trustworthy.  I 
have  had  good  proof  that  you  are — pardon  the  expres 
sion — unscrupulous,  and  I  flatter  myself  you  are  silent. 
What  is  more,  I  shall  tell  you  nothing,  so  that  you  could 
not  betray  me  if  you  would.  Now,  for  my  plans ! " 

He  sat  down  again  and  took  a  paper  from  his 
pocket.  Having  perused  it,  he  turned  to  Eastover. 

"  You  will  leave  at  once — that  is  to  say  by  the  boat 
on  Wednesday — for  Sydney.  You  will  book  your  pas 
sage  to-morrow  morning,  first  thing,  and  join  her  in 
Plymouth.  You  will  meet  me  to-morrow  evening  at  an 
address  I  will  give  you  and  receive  your  final  instruc 
tions.  Good-night." 

Seeing  that  he  was  expected  to  go,  Eastover  rose, 
shook  hands,  and  left  the  room  without  a  word.  He 
was  too  astonished  to  hesitate  or  to  say  anything. 

Nikola  took  another  letter  from  his  pocket  and 
turned  to  Prendergast. 

"  You  will  go  down  to  Dover  to-night,  cross  to  Paris 
2 


12  A  BID  FOB  FORTUNE. 

to-morrow  morning,  and  leave  this  letter  personally  at 
the  address  you  will  find  written  on  it.  On  Thursday, 
at  half-past  two  precisely,  you  will  deliver  me  an  answer 
in  the  porch  at  Charing  Cross.  You  will  find  sufficient 
money  in  that  envelope  to  pay  all  vour  expenses.  Now 
go!" 

"  At  half -past  two  you  shall  have  your  answer. 
Good-night." 

"  Good-night." 

When  Prendergast  had  left  the  room,  Dr.  Nikola 
lit  another  cigar  and  turned  his  attentions  to  Mr. 
Baxter. 

"  Six  months  ago,  I  found  for  you  a  situation  as  tu 
tor  to  the  young  Marquis  of  Beckenham.  You  still  hold 
it,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  I  do." 

"  Is  the  Duke,  the  lad's  father,  well  disposed  towards 
you?" 

"  In  every  way.  I  have  done  my  best  to  ingratiate 
myself  with  him.  That  was  one  of  your  instructions  if 
you  will  remember." 

"  Yes,  yes !  But  I  was  not  certain  that  you  would 
succeed.  If  the  old  man  is  anything  like  what  he  was 
when  I  last  met  him  he  must  still  be  a  difficult  person 
to  deal  with.  Does  the  boy  like  you  ?  " 

"  I  hope  so." 

"Have  you  brought  me  his  photograph  as  I  di 
rected  ?  " 

"  I  have.    Here  it  is." 

Baxter  took  a  photograph  from  his  pocket  and 
handed  it  across  the  table. 

"  Good.  You  have  done  very  well,  Mr.  Baxter.  I 
am  pleased  with  you.  To-morrow  morning  you  will  go 
back  to  Yorkshire " 


DR.   NIKOLA.  13 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Bournemouth.  His  Grace  has 
taken  a  house  near  Bournemouth  for  the  summer." 

"  Very  well — then  to-morrow  morning  you  will  go 
back  to  Bournemouth  and  continue  to  ingratiate  your 
self  with  father  and  son.  You  will  also  begin  to  im 
plant  in  the  boy's  mind  a  desire  for  travel.  Don't  let 
him  become  aware  that  his  desire  has  its  source  in  you 
— but  do  not  fail  to  foster  it  all  you  can.  I  will  com 
municate  with  you  further  in  a  day  or  two.  Now  go." 

Baxter  in  his  turn  left  the  room.  The  door  closed. 
Dr.  Nikola  picked  up  the  photograph  and  studied  it 
carefully. 

"  The  likeness  is  unmistakable — or  it  ought  to  be. 
My  friend,  my  very  dear  friend,  Wetherell,  my  toils  are 
closing  on  you.  My  arrangements  are  perfecting  them 
selves  admirably.  Presently  when  all  is  complete  I  shall 
press  the  lever,  the  machinery  will  be  set  in  motion,  and 
you  will  find  yourself  being  slowly  but  surely  ground 
into  powder.  Then  you  may  be  sorry  you  thought  fit  to 
baulk  Dr.  Nikola ! " 

He  rang  the  bell  and  ordered  his  bill.  This  duty 
discharged  he  placed  the  cat  back  in  its  prison,  shut 
the  lid,  descended  with  the  basket  to  the  hall,  and  called 
a  hansom.  When  he  had  closed  the  apron,  the  porter 
enquired  to  what  address  he  should  order  the  cabman 
to  drive.  Dr.  Nikola  did  not  reply  for  a  moment,  then 
he  said,  as  if  he  had  been  thinking  something  out : 

"  The  Green  Sailor  public  house,  East  India  Dock 
Road." 


PART  I. 


CHAPTER  I. 

I    DETERMINE    TO    TAKE    A    HOLIDAY. — SYDNEY,    AND 
WHAT   BEFELL   ME   THEEE. 

FIKST  and  foremost,  my  name,  age,  description,  and 
occupation,  as  they  say  in  the  Police  Gazette.  Eichard 
Hatteras,  at  your  service,  commonly  called  Dick,  of 
Thursday  Island,  North  Queensland,  pearler,  copra 
merchant,  beche-de-mer  and  tortoise-shell  dealer,  and 
South  Sea  trader  generally.  Eight-and-twenty  years  of 
age,  neither  particularly  good-looking,  nor,  if  some  peo 
ple  are  to  be  believed,  particularly  amiable,  six  feet  two 
in  my  stockings,  and  forty-six  inches  round  the  chest ; 
strong  as  a  Hakodate  wrestler,  and  perfectly  willing  at 
any  moment  to  pay  ten  pounds  sterling  to  the  man  who 
can  put  me  on  my  back.  And  big  shame  to  me  if  I  were 
not  strong,  considering  the  free,  open-air,  devil-may-care 
life  I've  led. 

Why,  I  was  doing  man's  work  at  an  age  when  most 
boys  are  wondering  when  they're  going  to  be  taken  out 
of  knickerbockers.  I'd  been  half  round  the  world  before 
I  was  fifteen,  and  had  been  wrecked  twice  and  marooned 
once  before  my  beard  showed  signs  of  sprouting.  My 
father  was  an  Englishman,  not  very  much  profit  to  him 
self,  so  he  used  to  say,  but  of  a  kindly  disposition,  and 
the  best  husband  to  my  mother  during  their  short  mar- 

14 


I  DETERMINE  TO  TAKE  A  HOLIDAY.  15 

ried  life  that  any  woman  could  possibly  have  desired. 
She,  poor  soul,  died  of  fever  in  the  Philippines,  and  he 
went  to  the  bottom  in  the  schooner  "  Helen  of  Troy,"  a 
degree  west  of  the  Line  Islands,  that  same  year ;  struck 
the  tail  end  of  a  cyclone,  it  was  thought,  and  went  down, 
lock,  stock,  and  barrel,  leaving  only  one  man  to  tell  the 
tale.  So  I  lost  father  and  mother  in  the  same  twelve 
months,  and  that  being  so,  when  I  put  my  cabbage-tree 
on  my  head  it  covered,  as  far  as  I  knew,  all  my  family 
in  the  world. 

Any  way  you  look  at  it  it's  calculated  to  give  you  a 
turn,  at  fifteen  years  of  age,  to  know  that  there's  not  a 
living  soul  on  the  face  of  God's  globe  that  you  can  take 
by  the  hand,  and  call  relation.  That  old  saying  about 
"  blood  being  thicker  than  water,"  is  a  pretty  true  one,  I 
reckon  :  friends  may  be  kind — they  were  so  to  me — but 
after  all  they're  not  the  same  thing,  nor  can  they  be  as 
your  own  kith  and  kin. 

However,  I  had  to  look  my  trouble  in  the  face  and 
stand  up  to  it  as  a  man  should,  and  I  suppose  this  kept 
me  from  brooding  as  much  over  my  loss  as  I  should 
otherwise  have  done.  Anyway,  ten  days  after  the  news 
reached  me,  I  had  shipped  aboard  the  "  Little  Emily," 
trading  schooner,  for  Papeete,  booked  for  five  years 
among  the  islands,  where  I  was  to  learn  to  water  copra 
and  lay  the  foundation  of  the  strange  career  that  I  am 
going  to  tell  you  about  in  this  book. 

After  my  time  expired  and  I  had  served  my  Trading 
Company  on  half  the  mudbanks  of  the  Pacific,  I  returned 
to  Australia  and  went  up  inside  the  Great  Barrier  Eeef 
to  Somerset — the  pearling  station  that  had  just  come 
into  existence  on  Cape  York.  They  were  good  days 
there  then,  before  all  the  new-fangled  laws  that  now 
regulate  the  pearling  trade  had  come  into  force,  and 


16  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

days  when  a  man  could  do  almost  as  he  liked  among  the 
islands  in  those  seas.  I  don't  know  how  other  folk  liked 
it,  but  it  just  suited  me — so  much  so  that  when  Somer 
set  proved  inconvenient  and  the  settlement  shifted 
across  to  Thursday,  I  went  with  it,  and,  what  was  more 
to  the  point,  with  money  enough  at  my  back  to  fit  my 
self  out  with  a  brand  new  lugger  and  full  crew,  and  go 
pearling  on  my  own  account. 

For  many  years  I  went  at  it  head  down,  and  this 
brings  me  up  to  four  years  ago,  to  1888,  we'll  say,  when 
I  was  a  grown  man,  the  owner  of  a  house,  two  luggers, 
and  as  good  a  diving  plant  as  any  man  could  wish  to 
possess.  What  was  more,  just  before  this,  I  had  put 
some  money  into  a  mining  concern  which  had,  contrary 
to  most  ventures  of  the  sort,  turned  up  trumps,  giving 
me  as  my  share  the  nice  round  sum  of  .£5,000.  With  all 
this  wealth  at  my  back,  and  having  been  in  harness  for 
a  good  number  of  years  on  end,  I  made  up  my  mind  to 
take  a  holiday  and  go  home  to  England  to  see  the  place 
where  my  father  was  born,  and  had  lived  his  early  life 
(I  found  the  name  of  it  written  in  the  fly  leaf  of  an  old 
Latin  book  he  left  me),  and  to  have  a  look  at  a  country 
I'd  heard  so  much  about  but  never  thought  to  have  the 
good  fortune  to  set  my  foot  upon. 

Accordingly  I  packed  my  traps,  let  my  house,  sold 
my  luggers  and  gear,  intending  to  buy  new  ones  when  I 
returned  ;  said  good-bye  to  my  friends  and  shipmates, 
and  set  off  to  join  an  Orient  liner  in  Sydney.  You  will 
see  from  this  that  I  intended  to  do  the  thing  in  style  ! 
And  why  not?  I'd  got  more  money  to  my  hand  than 
most  of  the  swells  who  patronise  the  first  saloon,  had 
earned  it  honestly,  and  was  resolved  to  enjoy  myself  with 
it  to  the  top  of  my  bent  and  hang  the  consequences. 

I  reached  Sydney  a  week  before  the  boat  was  adver- 


SYDNEY,  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  ME  THERE.      17 

tised  to  sail,  but  I  didn't  fret  much  about  that.  There's 
plenty  to  see  and  do  in  such  a  big  place,  and  when  a 
man's  been  shut  away  from  theatres  and  amusements 
for  years  at  a  stretch,  he  can  put  in  his  time  pretty 
well  looking  about  him.  All  the  same,  not  knowing  a 
soul  in  the  place,  I  must  confess  there  were  moments 
when  I  did  think  regretfully  of  the  tight  little  island 
hidden  away  up  north  under  the  wing  of  New  Guinea, 
of  the  luggers  dancing  to  the  breeze  in  the  harbour,  and 
the  warm  welcome  that  always  awaited  me  among  my 
friends  in  the  saloons.  Take  my  word  for  it  there's 
even  something  in  being  a  leader  on  a  small  island. 
Anyway  it's  better  than  being  a  deadbeat  in  a  big  city 
like  Sydney,  where  nobody  knows  you,  and  your  next- 
door  neighbour  wouldn't  miss  you  if  he  never  saw  or 
heard  of  you  again. 

I  used  to  think  of  these  things  as  I  marched  about 
the  streets  looking  in  at  shop  windows,  or  took  excur 
sions  up  and  down  the  Harbour.  There's  no  place  like 
Sydney  Harbour  in  the  wide,  wide  world  for  prettiness, 
and  before  I'd  been  there  a  week  I  was  familiar  with 
every  part  of  it.  Still,  it  would  have  been  more  enjoy 
able,  as  I  hinted  just  now,  if  I  had  had  a  friend  to  tour 
about  with  me ;  and  by  the  same  token  I'm  doing  one 
man  an  injustice. 

There  was  one  fellow,  I  remember,  who  did  offer  to 
show  me  round  :  I  think  I  fell  across  him  in  a  saloon  in 
George  Street.  He  was  tall  and  handsome,  and  as  spic 
and  span  as  a  new  pin  till  you  came  to  look  under  the 
surface.  He  winked  at  the  girl  who  was  serving  us,  and 
when  I'd  finished  my  drink  asked  me  to  take,  another 
with  him.  Seeing  what  his  little  game  was,  and  want 
ing  to  teach  him  a  lesson,  I  lured  him  on  by  consenting. 
I  drank  with  him,  and  then  he  drank  with  me.  Oh,  a 


18  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

perfect  gentleman  he  was,  as  far  as  manners  went,  I  can 
assure  you ! 

"  Been  long  in  Sydney  ?  "  he  enquired  casually,  look 
ing  at  me,  and,  at  the  same  time,  stroking  his  fair 
moustache. 

"  Just  come  in,"  was  my  reply. 

"  Don't  you  find  it  dull  work  ?  "  he  continued.  "  I 
shall  never  forget  my  first  week  in  it." 

"  You're  about  right.  It  is  dull !  1  don't  know  a 
soul  bar  my  banker  and  lawyer  in  the  town." 

"  Dear  me !  "  (more  curling  of  the  moustache).  "  If 
I  can  be  of  any  service  to  you  while  you're  here,  I  hope 
you'll  command  me.  For  the  sake  of  'Auld  Lang 
Syne,'  don't  you  know.  I  believe  we're  both  English 
men,  eh?" 

"  It's  very  good  of  you,"  I  replied  modestly,  affecting 
to  be  overcome  by  his  condescension.  "  I'm  just  off  to 
lunch.  I  am  staying  at  the  '  Quebec.'  Is  it  far  enough 
for  a  hansom  ?  "  As  he  was  about  to  answer,  a  lawyer, 
with  whom  I  had  done  a  little  business  the  day  before, 
walked  into  the  room.  I  turned  to  my  patronising 
friend  and  said,  "  Will  you  excuse  me  for  just  one 
moment,  I  want  to  speak  to  this  gentleman  on  business ; 
I'll  join  you  outside." 

He  was  still  all  graciousness. 

"  I'll  call  a  hansom  and  wait  for  you  in  it." 

When  he  had  left  the  saloon  I  spoke  to  the  new  ar 
rival.  He  had  noticed  the  man  I  was  talking  to  and 
was  kind  enough  to  warn  me  against  him. 

"  That  man,"  he  said,  "  bears  a  very  bad  reputation. 
He  makes  it  his  trade  to.  meet  new  arrivals  from  Eng 
land — weak-brained  young  pigeons  with  money.  He 
shows  them  round  Sydney  and  plucks  them  so  clean  that 
when  they  leave  his  hands,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  they 


SYDNEY,  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  ME  THERE.       19 

haven't  a  feather  left  to  fly  with.  You  ought  not,  with 
your  experience  of  rough  customers,  to  be  taken  in  by 
him." 

"  Nor  am  I,"  I  replied.  "  I  am  going  to  teach  him 
a  lesson.  Would  you  like  to  see  it?  Then  come  with 
me." 

Arm  in  arm  we  walked  into  the  street,  watched  by 
Mr.  Hawk  from  his  seat  in  the  cab.  "When  we  got  there 
we  stood  for  a  moment  chatting,  and  then  strolled  to 
gether  down  the  pavement.  Next  moment  I  heard  the 
cab  coming  along  after  us — my  friend  hailed  me  in  his 
silkiest  tones — but  though  I  looked  him  full  in  the  face 
I  pretended  not  to  know  him.  Seeing  this  he  drove 
past  us — pulled  up  a  little  further  down  and  sprang  out 
to  wait  for  me. 

"  I  was  almost  afraid  I  had  missed  you,"  he  began, 
as  we  came  up  with  him.  "  Perhaps  as  it  is  such  a  fine 
day  you  would  rather  walk  than  ride  ?  " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  I  answered,  "  I'm  really  afraid 
you  have  the  advantage  of  me." 

"  But  you  have  asked  me  to  lunch  with  you.  You 
asked  me  to  call  a  hansom." 

"  Pardon  me  again !  there  you  are  really  mistaken. 
I  said  I  was  going  to  lunch  at  the  '  Quebec '  and  asked 
you  if  it  was  far  enough  to  be  worth  taking  a  hansom. 
That  is  your  hansom,  not  mine.  If  you  don't  require  it 
any  longer  I  should  advise  you  to  pay  the  man  and  let 
him  go." 

"  You  are  a  swindler,  sir.  I  refuse  to  pay  the  cab 
man.  It  is  your  hansom." 

I  took  a  step  closer  to  my  fine  gentleman  and  looking 
him  full  in  the  face  said  as  quietly  as  possible,  for  I 
didn't  want  all  the  street  to  hear  : 

"  Mr.  Dorunda  Dodson,  let  this  be  a  lesson  to  you. 


20  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

Perhaps  you'll  think  twice  next  time  before  you  try  your 
little  games  on  me  ! " 

He  stepped  back  as  if  he  had  been  shot,  hesitated  a 
moment,  and  then  jumped  into  his  cab  and  drove  off  in 
the  opposite  direction.  When  he  had  gone  I  looked  at 
my  astonished  companion. 

"  "Well,  now,"  he  ejaculated  at  last,  "  how  on  earth 
did  you  manage  that  ?  " 

"  Very  easily,"  I  replied.  "  I  happen  to  remember 
having  met  that  gentleman  up  in  our  part  of  the  world 
when  he  was  in  a  very  awkward  position — very  awkward. 
By  his  action  just  now  I  should  say  he  has  not  forgotten 
the  circumstances  any  more  than  I  have." 

"  I  should  rather  think  not.     Good  day !  " 

We  shook  hands  and  parted,  he  going  on  down  the 
street,  while  I  branched  off  to  my  hotel. 

That  was  the  first  of  the  only  two  adventures  of  any 
importance  that  I  met  with  during  my  stay  in  New  South 
Wales.  And  there's  not  much  in  that,  I  fancy  I  can 
hear  you  saying.  Well,  that  may  be  so,  I  don't  deny  it, 
but  it  was  nevertheless  through  that  that  I  became 
mixed  up  with  the  folk  who  figure  in  this  book,  and 
indeed  it  was  to  that  very  circumstance,  and  that 
alone,  I  owe  my  connection  with  the  queer  story  I 
have  set  myself  to  tell.  And  this  is  how  it  came 
about. 

Three  days  before  the  steamer  sailed  and  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  I  chanced  to  be  walking  down 
Castlereagh  Street,  wondering  what  on  earth  I  should 
do  with  myself  until  dinner-time,  when  I  saw  approach 
ing  me  the  very  man  whose  discomfiture  I  have  just  de 
scribed.  Being  probably  occupied  planning  the  pluck 
ing  of  some  unfortunate  new  chum,  he  did  not  see  me 
coming  towards  him.  And  as  I  had  no  desire  to  meet 


SYDNEY,  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  ME  THERE.       21 

him  again  after  what  had  passed  between  us,  I  crossed 
the  road  and  meandered  off  in  a  different  direction, 
eventually  finding  myself  located  on  a  seat  in  the  Do 
main,  lighting  a  cigarette  and  looking  down  over  a  broad 
expanse  of  harbour. 

One  thought  led  to  another,  and  so  I  sat  on  and  on, 
long  after  dusk  had  fallen,  never  stirring  until  a  circum 
stance  occurred  on  a  neighbouring  path  that  attracted  my 
attention.  A  young  and  well-dressed  lady  was  pursuing 
her  way  in  my  direction,  evidently  intending  to  leave  the 
park  by  the  entrance  I  had  used  to  come  into  it.  But 
unfortunately  for  her,  at  the  junction  of  two  paths  to 
my  right,  three  of  Sydney's  typical  larrikins  were  en 
gaged  in  earnest  conversation.  They  had  observed  the 
girl  coining  towards  them  and  were  evidently  preparing 
some  plan  for  accosting  her.  When  she  was  only  about 
fifty  yards  away,  two  of  them  walked  to  a  distance,  leav 
ing  the  third  and  biggest  ruffian  to  waylay  her.  He  did 
so,  but  without  success ;  she  passed  him  and  continued 
her  walk  at  increased  speed. 

The  man  thereupon  quickened  his  pace  and,  secure 
in  the  fact  that  he  was  unobserved,  again  accosted  her. 
Again  she  tried  to  escape  him,  but  this  time  he  would 
not  leave  her.  What  was  worse,  his  two  friends  were 
now  blocking  the  path  in  front.  She  looked  to  right 
and  left  and  was  evidently  uncertain  what  to  do.  Then 
seeing  escape  was  hopeless,  she  stopped,  took  out  her 
purse,  and  gave  it  to  the  man  who  had  first  spoken  to 
her.  Thinking  this  was  going  too  far,  I  jumped  up  and 
went  quickly  across  the  turf  towards  them.  My  foot 
steps  made  no  sound  on  the  soft  grass,  and  they  were 
too  much  occupied  in  examining  what  she  had  given 
them  to  notice  my  approach. 

"  You  scoundrels  !  "  I  said,  when  I  had  come  up  with 


22  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

them.  "  What  do  you  mean  by  stopping  this  lady  ?  Let 
her  go  instantly,  and  you  my  friend,  just  hand  over  that 
purse." 

The  man  addressed  looked  at  me  as  if  he  were  tak 
ing  my  measure,  and  were  wondering  what  sort  of 
chance  he'd  have  against  me  in  a  fight.  But  I  suppose 
my  height  must  have  rather  scared  him,  for  he  changed 
his  tone  and  began  to  whine. 

"  I  haven't  got  the  lady's  purse,  s'help  me,  I  ain't ! 
I  was  only  asking  of  'er  the  time,  I'll  take  me  davy  I 
was ! " 

"  Hand  over  that  purse,"  I  said  sternly,  approaching 
a  step  nearer  to  him. 

One  of  the  others  here  intervened. — 

"  Let's  stowch  'im,  Dog !  There  ain't  a  copper  in 
sight ! " 

With  that  they  began  to  close  upon  me.  But,  as  the 
saying  goes,  "  I'd  been  there  before."  I'd  not  been 
knocking  about  the  rough  side  of  the  world  for  nearly 
fifteen  years  without  learning  how  to  take  care  of  my 
self.  When  they  had  had  about  enough  of  it,  which 
was  most  likely  more  than  they  had  bargained  for,  I 
took  the  purse  and  went  down  the  path  to  where  the  in 
nocent  cause  of  it  all  was  standing.  She  was  looking  very 
white  and  scared,  but  she  plucked  up  courage  enough  to 
thank  me  prettily. 

Bless  you  !  I  can  see  her  now,  standing  there  looking 
into  my  face  with  big  tears  in  her  pretty  blue  eyes.  She 
was  a  girl  of  about  twenty-one  or  two,  I  should  think — 
tall  but  slenderly  built,  with  a  pretty  oval  face,  bright 
brown  hair,  and  the  most  beautiful  eyes  I  have  ever  seen 
in  my  life.  She  was  dressed  in  some  dark  green  ma 
terial,  wore  a  fawn  jacket,  and  because  the  afternoon 
was  cold,  had  a  boa  of  marten  fur  round  her  neck.  I 


SYDNEY,  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  ME  THERE.       23 

can  remember  perfectly  that  her  hat  was  of  some  flimsy 
make,  with  lace  and  glittering  spear  points  in  it ;  the 
whole  surmounted  with  two  bows,  one  of  black  ribbon 
the  other  of  salmon  pink. 

"  Oh,  how  can  I  thank  you  ? "  she  began  when  I 
came  up  to  her.  "  But  for  your  appearance  I  don't 
know  what  those  men  might  not  have  done  to  me." 

"  I  am  very  glad  that  I  ivas  there  to  help  you,"  I  re 
plied,  looking  into  her  face  with  more  admiration  for  its 
warm  young  beauty  than  perhaps  I  ought  to  have  shown. 
"  Here  is  your  purse.  I  hope  you  will  find  its  contents 
safe.  At  the  same  time  will  you  let  me  give  you  a  little 
piece  of  advice.  From  what  I  have  seen  this  afternoon 
this  is  evidently  not  the  sort  of  place  for  a  young  lady  to 
be  walking  in  alone  and  after  dark.  I  don't  think  I 
would  risk  it  again  if  I  were  you." 

She  looked  at  me  for  a  moment  and  then  said : 

"  You  are  quite  right.  I  have  only  myself  to  thank 
for  it.  I  met  a  friend  and  walked  across  the  green  with 
her — I  was  on  my  way  back  to  my  carriage — which  is 
waiting  for  me  outside,  when  I  met  those  men.  How 
ever  I  think  I  can  promise  you  that  it  will  not  happen 
again,  as  we  are  leaving  Sydney  in  a  day  or  two." 

Somehow  I  began  to  feel  glad  I  was  booked  to  leave 
the  place  too  when  I  heard  that.  But  of  course  I  didn't 
tell  her  so. 

"  May  I  see  you  safely  to  your  carriage  ?  Those  fel 
lows  may  still  be  hanging  about  on  the  chance  of  over 
taking  you." 

Her  courage  must  have  come  back  to  her,  for  she 
looked  up  into  my  face  with  a  smile. 

"  1  don't  think  they  will  be  rude  to  me  again  after 
the  lesson  you  have  given  them.  But  if  you  will  walk 
with  me  I  shall  be  very  grateful." 


24  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Side  by  side  we  proceeded  down  the  path,  through 
the  gates  and  out  into  the  street.  A  neat  brougham 
was  drawn  up  alongside  the  kerb  and  towards  this  she 
made  her  way.  I  opened  the  door  and  held  it  for  her 
to  get  in.  But  before  she  did  so  she  turned  to  me  and 
stretched  out  her  little  hand. 

"  Will  you  tell  me  your  name  that  I  may  know  to 
whom  I  am  indebted  ?  " 

"My  name  is  Hatteras.  Richard  Hatteras,  of 
Thursday  Island,  Torres  Straits.  I  am  staying  at  the 
*  Quebec.' " 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Hatteras,  again  and  again.  I 
shall  always  be  grateful  to  you  for  your  gallantry !" 

This  was  attaching  too  much  importance  to  such  a 
simple  action,  and  I  was  about  to  tell  her  so,  when  she 
spoke  again. 

"  I  think  I  ought  to  let  you  know  who  I  am.  My 
name  is  Wetherell,  and  my  father  is  the  Colonial  Secre 
tary.  I'm  sure  he  will  be  quite  as  grateful  to  you  as  I 
am.  Good-bye ! " 

She  seemed  to  forget  that  we  had  already  shaken 
hands,  for  she  extended  her  own  a  second  time.  I  took 
it  and  tried  to  say  something  polite,  but  she  stepped  into 
her  carriage  and  shut  the  door  before  I  could  think  of 
anything,  and  next  moment  she  was  being  whirled  away 
up  the  street. 

Now  old  fogies  and  disappointed  spinsters  can  say 
what  they  please  about  love  at  first  sight.  I'm  not  a  ro 
mantic  sort  of  person — far  from  it — the  sort  of  life  I  had 
hitherto  led  was  not  of  a  nature  calculated  to  foster  that 
sort  of  thing.  But  if  I  wasn't  over  head  and  ears  in  love 
when  I  resumed  my  walk  that  evening,  well,  I've  never 
known  what  the  sensation  is. 

A  daintier,  prettier,  sweeter  little  angel  surely  never 


SYDNEY,  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  ME  THERE.       25 

walked  the  earth  than  the  girl  I  had  just  been  permitted 
the  opportunity  of  rescuing;  and  from  that  moment 
forward  my  time  slipped  by  in  a  rosy  mist  of  enchant 
ment.  I  seemed  to  retain  the  soft  pressure  of  her  fingers 
in  mine  for  hours  afterwards,  and  as  a  proof  of  the  per 
turbed  state  of  my  feelings  I  may  add  that  I  congratu 
lated  myself  warmly  on  having  worn  that  day  my  new 
and  fashionable  Sydney  suit  instead  of  the  garments  in 
which  I  had  travelled  down  from  Torres  Straits,  and 
which  I  had  considered  quite  good  enough  for  even  high 
days  and  holidays.  That  she  herself  would  remember 
me  for  more  than  an  hour  never  struck  me  as  being 
likely.  So  it  was  purely  a  one-sided  matter,  as  you  will 
conjecture. 

Next  morning  I  donned  my  best  suit  again,  gave 
myself  an  extra  brush  up,  and  sauntered  down  town  to 
see  if  I  could  run  across  her  in  the  streets.  What  reason 
I  had  for  thinking  I  should,  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you, 
but  at  any  rate  I  was  not  destined  to  be  disappointed. 
Crossing  George  Street  a  carriage  passed  me  and  in  it 
sat  the  girl  whose  fair  image  had  exercised  such  an  effect 
upon  my  mind.  That  she  saw  and  recognised  me  was 
evident  by  the  gracious  bow  and  smile  with  which  she 
favoured  me.  Then  she  passed  out  of  sight  and  it  was 
a  wonder  that  that  minute  didn't  see  the  end  of  my  ca 
reer,  for  I  stood  like  one  in  a  dream  looking  in  the  di 
rection  in  which  she  had  gone,  and  it  was  not  until  two 
hansoms  and  a  brewer's  wagon  had  nearly  run  me  down 
that  I  realised  that  it  would  be  safer  for  me  to  pursue 
my  meditations  on  the  side  walk. 

I  got  back  to  my  hotel  at  lunch  time,  and  during  the 
progress  of  that  meal  a  brilliant  idea  struck  me.  Sup 
posing  I  plucked  up  courage  and  went  to  call !  Why 
not  ?  It  would  be  only  a  polite  action  to  enquire  if  she 


26  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

were  any  the  worse  for  her  fright.  The  thought  was  no 
sooner  born  in  my  brain  than  I  was  eager  to  be  off.  But 
it  was  too  early  for  such  a  formal  business,  so  I  had  to 
cool  my  heels  in  the  hall  for  an  hour  or  so.  Then,  hail 
ing  a  hansom  and  enquiring  the  direction  of  their  house, 
I  drove  off  to  Potts  Point.  The  house  was  the  last  in 
the  street — an  imposing  mansion  standing  in  well-laid- 
out  grounds.  The  butler  answered  my  ring,  and  in  re 
sponse  to  my  enquiry  dashed  my  hopes  to  the  ground  by 
informing  me  that  Miss  Wetherell  was  out. 

"  She's  very  busy,  you  see,  at  present,  sir.  She  and 
the  master  leave  for  England  on  Friday  in  the  '  Ori 
zaba.'" 

"  What ! "  I  cried,  almost  forgetting  myself  in  my 
astonishment.  "  You  don't. mean  to  say  Miss  Wetherell 
goes  to  England  in  the  '  Orizaba '  ?  " 

"  I  do,  sir.  And  I  do  hear  she's  goin'  'ome  to  be 
presented  at  Court,  sir ! " 

"  Ah  !  Thank  you.  Will  you  give  her  my  card,  and 
say  I  hope  she  is  none  the  worse  for  her  fright  last 
evening  ?  " 

He  took  the  card  and  a  substantial  tip  with  it,  and 
I  went  back  to  my  cab  in  the  seventh  heaven  of  delight. 
I  was  to  be  shipmates  with  this  lovely  creature !  For 
six  weeks  or  more  I  should  be  able  to  see  her  every  day ! 
It  seemed  almost  too  good  to  be  true.  Instinctively  I 
began  to  make  all  sorts  of  plans  and  arrangements. 
Who  knew  but  what — but  stay,  we  must  bring  ourselves 
up  here  with  a  round  turn  or  we  shall  be  anticipating 
what's  to  come. 

To  make  a  long  story  short — for  it  must  be  remem 
bered  that  what  I  am  telling  you  is  only  to  lead  up  to 
all  the  extraordinary  things  that  will  have  to  be  told 
later  on — the  day  of  sailing  came.  I  went  down  to  the 


SYDNEY,   AND   WHAT  BEFELL  ME  THERE.       27 

boat  on  the  morning  of  her  departure,  and  got  my  bag 
gage  safely  stowed  away  in  my  cabin  before  the  rush 
set  in.  My  cabin  mate  was  to  join  me  in  Adelaide, 
so  for  the  first  few  days  of  the  voyage  I  should  be 
alone. 

About  three  o'clock  we  hove  our  anchor  and  steamed 
slowly  down  the  Bay.  It  was  a  perfect  afternoon,  and 
the  Harbour,  with  its  myriad  craft  of  all  nationalities 
and  sizes,  the  blue  water  backed  by  stately  hills,  pre 
sented  a  scene  the  beauty  of  which  would  have  appealed 
to  the  mind  of  the  most  prosaic.  I  had  been  below 
when  the  Wetherells  arrived  on  board,  so  the  young 
lady  had  not  yet  become  aware  of  my  presence.  Whether 
she  would  betray  any  astonishment  when  she  did  find 
out  was  beyond  my  power  to  tell ;  at  any  rate  I  know 
that  I  was  by  a  long  way  the  happiest  man  aboard  the 
boat  that  day.  However,  I  was  not  to  be  kept  long  in 
suspense.  Before  we  had  reached  the  Heads  it  was  all 
settled,  and  satisfactorily  so.  I  was  standing  on  the 
promenade  deck,  just  abaft  the  main  saloon  entrance, 
watching  the  moving  panorama  stretched  before  me, 
when  I  heard  a  voice  I  recognised  only  too  well  saying 
behind  me : 

"  And  so  good-bye  to  you,  dear  old  Sydney.  Great 
things  will  have  happened  when  I  set  eyes  on  you 
again." 

Little  did  she  know  how  prophetic  her  words  were. 
As  she  spoke  I  confronted  her.  For  a  moment  she 
turned,  overwhelmed  with  surprise,  then,  stretching  out 
her  hand,  said  : 

"  Keally,  Mr.  Hatteras,  this  is  most  wonderful.  You 
are  the  last  person  I  expected  to  meet  on  board  the 
« Orizaba.' " 

"  And  perhaps,"  I  replied,  "  I  might  with  justice  say 


28  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

the  same  of  you.  It  looks  as  if  we  are  going  to  be 
fellow  travellers." 

She  turned  to  a  tall  white-bearded  man  beside  her. 

"  Papa,  I  must  introduce  you  to  Mr.  Hatteras.  You 
will  remember  that  I  told  you  how  kind  Mr.  Hatteras 
was  to  me  when  those  larrikins  were  rude  to  me  in  the 
Domain." 

"  I  am  sincerely  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he 
said,  holding  out  his  hand  and  shaking  mine  heartily. 
"  My  daughter  did  tell  me,  and  I  called  yesterday  at 
your  hotel  to  thank  you  personally,  but  you  were  un 
fortunately  not  at  home.  Are  you  visiting  Europe?" 

"  Yes,  I'm  going  home  to  sell  some  pearls  and  to  see 
the  place  where  my  father  was  born." 

"  Are  you  then,  like  myself,  an  Australian  native  ?  I 
mean,  of  course,  as  you  know,  Colonial  born?"  asked 
Miss  Wetherell  with  a  little  laugh.  The  idea  of  her 
calling  herself  an  Australian  native.  The  very  notion 
seemed  preposterous. 

"  I  was  born  at  sea,  a  degree  and  a  half  south  of 
Mauritius,  so  I  don't  exactly  know  what  you  would  call 
me.  I  hope  you  have  comfortable  cabins  ?  " 

*'  Very.  We  have  made  two  or  three  voyages  in  this 
boat  before,  and  we  always  take  the  same  places.  And 
now,  papa,  we  must  really  go  and  see  where  poor  Miss 
Thompson  is.  We  are  beginning  to  feel  the  swell  and 
she'll  be  wanting  to  go  below.  Good-bye  for  the  pres 
ent,  Mr.  Hatteras." 

I  raised  my  cap  and  watched  her  walk  away  down 
the  deck,  balancing  herself  as  if  she  had  been  accustomed 
to  a  heaving  plank  all  her  life.  Then  I  turned  to  watch 
the  fast  receding  shore,  and  to  my  own  thoughts,  which 
were  none  of  the  saddest,  I  can  confidently  assure  you. 
For  it  must  be  confessed,  and  why  should  I  deny  it? 


SYDNEY,  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  ME  THERE.       29 

that  I  was  in  love  from  the  soles  of  my  deck  shoes  to 
the  cap  upon  my  head.  But  as  to  the  chance  that  I,  a 
humble  pearler,  would  stand  with  one  of  Sydney's  wealth 
iest  and  most  beautiful  daughters — why  that's  another 
matter,  and  one  that,  for  the  present,  I  was  anxious  to 
keep  behind  me. 

Within  the  week  we  had  left  Adelaide  behind  us, 
and  four  days  later  Albany  was  also  a  thing  of  the  past. 
By  the  time  we  had  cleared  the  Lewin  we  had  all  settled 
down  to  our  life  aboard  ship,  the  bad  sailors  were  begin 
ning  to  appear  on  deck  again,  and  the  medium  voyagers 
to  make  various  excuses  for  their  absences  from  meals. 
It  was  plainly  evident  that  Miss  Wetherell  was  the  belle 
of  the  ship.  Everybody  paid  her  attention  from  the 
skipper  downwards.  And  this  being  so,  I  prudently 
kept  out  of  the  way  myself,  for  I  had  no  desire  to  be 
thought  to  presume  on  our  previous  acquaintance. 
Whether  she  noticed  this  I  cannot  say,  but  at  any  rate  her 
manner  to  me  when  we  did  speak  was  more  cordial  than 
I  had  any  right  or  reason  to  expect.  Seeing  this,  there 
were  not  wanting  people  on  board  who  scoffed  and 
sneered  at  the  idea  of  the  Colonial  Secretary's  daughter 
noticing  so  humble  a  person  as  myself,  and  when  it 
became  known  what  my  exact  social  position  was,  I 
promise  you  these  malicious  whisperings  did  not 
cease. 

One  evening,  two  or  three  days  after  we  had  left 
Colombo  behind  us,  I  was  standing  at  the  rails  on  the 
promenade  deck  a  little  abaft  the  smoking-room  en 
trance,  when  Miss  Wetherell  came  up  and  took  her 
place  beside  me.  She  looked  very  dainty  and  sweet  in 
her  evening  dress,  and  I  felt,  if  I  had  known  her  better, 
I  should  have  liked  to  have  told  her  so. 

"  Mr.   Hatteras,"  said  she,  when  we  had  discussed 


30  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

the  weather  and  the  sunset,  "  I  have  been  thinking 
lately  that  you  desire  to  avoid  me." 

"  Heaven  forbid !  Miss  Wetherell,"  I  hastened  to 
reply.  "  I  don't  know  what  can  have  put  such  a  notion 
into  your  head?" 

"  All  the  same,  I  believe  it  to  be  true.  Now,  why  do 
you  do  it?" 

"  I  have  not  admitted  that  I  do  do  it.  But,  perhaps, 
if  I  seem  to  deny  myself  the  pleasure  of  being  with  you 
as  much  as  some  other  people  I  could  mention,  it  is 
only  because  I  fail  to  see  what  pleasure  you  can  derive 
from  my  society." 

"  That  is  a  very  pretty  speech,"  she  answered  smil 
ing,  "  but  it  does  not  tell  me  what  I  want  to  know." 

"  And  what  is  it  you  want  to  know,  my  dear  young 
lady?" 

"  I  want  to  know  why  it  is  you  are  so  much  changed 
towards  me.  At  first  we  got  on  splendidly — you  used 
to  tell  me  of  your  life  in  Torres  Straits,  of  your  trading 
ventures  in  the  Southern  Seas,  and  even  of  your  hopes 
for  the  future — now  all  that  is  changed.  It  is  '  Good 
morning,  Miss  Wetherell,'  '  Good  evening,  Miss  Weth 
erell,'  and  that  is  all.  I  must  own  I  don't  like  such 
treatment." 

"  I  must  crave  your  pardon — but " 

"  No,  we  won't  have  any  '  buts.'  If  you  want  to  be 
forgiven,  you  must  come  and  talk  to  me  more.  You 
will  like  the  rest  of  the  people  I'm  sure  when  you  get  to 
know  them.  They  are  very  kind  to  me." 

"  And  you  think  I  shall  like  them  for  that  reason? " 

"  No,  no.  How  silly  you  are.  But  I  do  want  you 
to  be  friendly." 

After  that  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  for  me  to 
push  myself  into  a  circle  where  I  had  the  best  reasons 


SYDNEY,  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  ME  THERE.       31 

for  knowing  that  half  its  members  did  not  want  me. 
However,  it  had  its  good  side.  I  saw  more  of  Miss 
Wetherell ;  so  much  more  that  I  began  to  see  her  father 
did  not  quite  approve  of  it.  But,  whatever  he  may 
have  thought,  he  said  nothing  to  me  on  the  subject. 

A  fortnight  or  so  later  we  were  at  Aden,  leaving  that 
barren  rock  about  four  o'clock,  and  entering  the  Red 
Sea  the  same  evening.  The  Suez  Canal  passed  through, 
and  Port  Said  behind  us,  we  were  in  the  Mediterra 
nean,  and  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  stood  in  Eu 
rope. 

At  Naples  the  Wetherells  were  to  say  good-bye  to 
the  boat,  and  continue  the  rest  of  their  journey  across 
the  Continent.  As  the  hour  of  separation  came  closer 
I  must  own  I  began  to  dread  it  more  and  more.  And 
somehow,  I  fancy,  she  was  not  quite  as  happy  as  she 
used  to  be.  You  will  ask  what  grounds  I  had  for  believ 
ing  that  a  girl  like  Miss  Wetherell  would  feel  any  interest 
in  me — and  it  is  a  question  I  can  no  more  answer  than 
I  can  fly.  And  yet,  when  I  came  to  think  it  all  out, 
I  was  not  without  my  hopes. 

We  were  to  reach  port  the  following  morning.  The 
night  was  very  still,  the  water  almost  unruffled.  Some 
how  it  came  about  that  Miss  Wetherell  and  I  found 
ourselves  together  in  the  same  sheltered  spot  where  she 
had  spoken  to  me  before.  The  stars  in  the  east  were 
jnst  paling  preparatory  to  the  rising  of  the  moon.  I 
glanced  at  my  companion  as  she  leant  against  the  rails 
scanning  the  quiet  sea,  and  noticed  the  sweet  wistful- 
ness  of  her  expression.  Then,  suddenly,  a  great  desire 
came  over  me  to  tell  her  of  my  love.  Surely,  even  if 
she  could  not  return  it,  there  would  be  no  harm  in  let 
ting  her  know  how  I  felt  towards  her.  For  this  reason 
1  drew  a  little  closer  to  her  side. 


32  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  And  so,  Miss  Wetherell,  to-morrow  we  are  to  bid 
each  other  good-bye,  never,  perhaps,  to  meet  again." 

"  Oh,  no,  Mr.  Hatteras,  we  won't  say  that.  Surely 
we  shall  see  something  of  each  other  somewhere.  The 
world  is  very  tiny  after  all." 

"  To  those  who  desire  to  avoid  each  other,  perhaps, 
but  for  those  who  wish  to  find  it  is  still  too  large." 

"Well,  then,  we  must  hope  for  the  best.  Who 
knows  but  that  we  may  run  across  each  other  in  London. 
I  think  it  is  very  probable." 

"  And  will  that  meeting  be  distasteful  to  you  ?  "  I 
asked,  quite  expecting  that  she  would  answer  with  her 
usual  frankness.  But  to  my  surprise  she  did  not 
speak,  only  turned  half  away  from  me.  Had  I  offended 
her? 

"  Miss  Wetherell,  pray  forgive  my  rudeness.  I 
ought  to  have  known  I  had  no  right  to  ask  you  such  a 
question." 

"And  why  shouldn't  you?"  she  replied,  this  time 
turning  her  sweet  face  towards  me.  "  No,  Mr.  Hatteras, 
I  will  tell  you  frankly,  I  should  very  much  like  to  see 
you  again." 

With  that  all  the  blood  in  my  body  seemed  to  rush 
to  my  head.  Could  I  be  dreaming  ?  Or  had  she  really 
said  she  would  like  to  see  me  again  ?  I  would  try  my 
luck  now  whatever  came  of  it. 

"You  cannot  think  how  pleasant  our  intercourse  has 
been  to  me,"  I  said.  "  And  now  I  have  to  go  back  to 
my  loneliness  again." 

"  But  you  should  not  say  that,  you  have  your  work 
in  life  ! "  " 

"  Yes,  but  what  is  that  to  me  when  I  have  no  one  to 
work  for  ?  Can  you  conceive  anything  more  awful  than 
my  loneliness?  Eemember  I  am  absolutely  without 


SYDNEY,  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  ME  THERE.       33 

kith  and  kin  as  far  as  I  know.  There  is  not  a  single 
soul  to  care  for  me  in  the  whole  world — not  one  to 
whom  my  death  would  be  a  matter  of  the  least  con 
cern." 

"  Oh,  don't— don't  say  that ! " 

Her  voice  faltered  so  that  I  turned  from  the  sea  and 
contemplated  her. 

"  It  is  true,  Miss  Wetherell,  bitterly  true." 

"  It  is  not  true.     It  cannot  be  true  !  " 

"  If  only  I  could  think  it  would  be  some  little  matter 
of  concern  to  you  I  should  go  back  to  my  work  with  a 
happier  heart." 

Again  she  turned  her  face  from  me.  My  arm  lay 
beside  hers  upon  the  bulwarks,  and  I  could  feel  that  she 
was  trembling.  Brutal  though  it  may  seem  to  say  so, 
this  gave  me  fresh  courage.  I  said  slowly,  bending  my 
face  a  little  towards  her : 

"  Would  it  affect  you,  Phyllis  ?  " 

One  little  hand  fell  from  the  bulwarks  to  her  side, 
and  as  I  spoke  I  took  possession  of  it.  She  did  not  ap 
pear  to  have  heard  my  question,  so  I  repeated  it.  Then 
her  head  went  down  upon  the  bulwarks,  but  not  before 
I  had  caught  the  whispered  "  yes  "  that  escaped  her  lips. 

Before  she  could  guess  what  was  going  to  happen, 
I  had  taken  her  in  my  arms  and  smothered  her  face 
with  kisses.  Nor  did  she  offer  me  any  resistance.  I 
knew  the  whole  truth  now.  She  was  mine,  she  loved  me 
— me — me — me !  The  whole  world  seemed  to  re-echo  the 
news,  the  very  sea  appeared  to  ring  with  it,  and  just  as 
I  learned  from  her  own  dear  lips  the  story  of  her  love, 
the  great  moon  rose  as  if  to  listen.  Can  you  imagine 
my  happiness,  my  delight  ?  She  was  mine,  my  very 
own!  Bound  to  me  by  all  the  bonds  of  love.  Oh, 
happy  hour !  Oh,  sweet  delight ! 


34  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

I  pressed  her  to  my  heart  again  and  again.  She 
looked  into  my  face  and  then  away  from  me,  her  sweet 
eyes  suffused  with  tears,  then  suddenly  her  expression 
changed.  I  turned  to  see  what  ailed  her,  and  to  my 
discomfiture  discovered  her  father  stalking  along  the 
silent  deck  towards  us. 

Whispering  to  her  to  leave  us,  she  sped  away,  and  I 
was  left  alone  with  her  angry  parent.  That  he  was 
angry  I  judged  from  his  face ;  nor  was  I  wrong. 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  said  severely,  "  pray  what  does 
this  mean  ?  How  is  it  I  find  you  in  this  undignified 
position  with  my  daughter  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Wetherell,  I  can  see  that  an  explanation  is  due 
to  you.  Just  before  you  came  up  I  was  courageous 
enough  to  tell  your  daughter  that  I  loved  her.  She  has 
been  generous  enough  to  inform  me  that  she  returns 
my  affection.  And  now  the  best  course  for  me  to 
pursue  is  to  ask  your  permission  to  make  her  my 
wife." 

"  You  presume,  sir,  upon  the  service  you  rendered 
my  daughter  in  Sydney.  I  did  not  think  you  would 
follow  it  up  in  this  fashion." 

"  Your  daughter  is  free  to  love  whom  she  pleases,  I 
take  it,"  I  said,  my  temper,  fanned  by  the  tone  he 
adopted,  getting  a  little  the  better  of  my  judgment. 
"  She  has  been  good  enough  to  promise  to  marry  me — 
if  I  can  obtain  your  permission.  Have  you  any  objec 
tion  to  raise  ?  " 

"  Only  one,  and  that  is  insuperable !  Understand 
me,  I  forbid  it  once  and  for  all !  In  every  particular — 
without  hope  of  change — I  forbid  it !  " 

"  As  you  must  see  it  is  a  matter  which  affects  the 
happiness  of  my  whole  life,  I  feel  sure  you  will  be  good 
enough  to  tell  me  why  ?  " 


SYDNEY,  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  ME  THERE.       35 

"  I  must  decline  any  discussion  on  the  matter  at  all. 
You  have  my  answer,  I  forbid  it ! " 

"  This  is  to  be  final,  then.  I  am  to  understand  that 
you  are  not  to  be  brought  to  change  your  mind  by  any 
actions  of  mine  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  am  not !  What  I  have  said  is  irrevocable. 
The  idea  is  not  to  be  thought  of  for  a  moment.  Your 
conduct  towards  my  daughter  on  board  this  ship  has 
been  very  distasteful  to  me.  I  have  the  honour  to  wish 
you  a  very  good  evening." 

"  Stay,  Mr.  Wetherell,"  I  said  as  he  turned  to  go. 
"  You  have  been  kind  enough  to  favour  me  with  your 
views.  Now  I  will  give  you  mine.  Your  daughter 
loves  me.  I  am  an  honest  and  an  industrious  man,  and 
I  love  her  with  my  whole  heart  and  soul.  I  tell  you 
now,  and  though  you  decline  to  treat  me  with  proper 
fairness,  I  give  you  warning,  I  intend  to  marry  her  if 
she  will  still  have  me — with  your  consent  or  without 
it!" 

"  You  are  insolent,  sir." 

"  I  assure  you  I  have  no  desire  to  be.  I  endeavour 
to  remember  that  you  are  her  father,  though  I  must 
own  you  lack  her  sense  of  what  is  fair  and  right." 

"  I  will  not  discuss  the  question  any  further  with 
you.  You  know  my  absolute  decision.  Good-night ! " 

"  Good-night ! " 

With  anger  and  happiness  struggling  in  my  breast 
for  the  mastery,  I  paced  that  deck  for  hours.  My  heart 
swelled  with  joy  at  the  knowledge  that  my  darling  loved 
me,  but  it  sank  like  lead  when  I  considered  the  difficul 
ties  that  threatened  us  if  her  father  persisted  in  his  pres 
ent  determination.  At  last,  just  as  eight  bells  was  strik 
ing  (twelve  o'clock),  I  went  below  to  my  cabin.  My 
fellow-passenger  was  fast  asleep — a  fact  that  I  was  grate- 


36  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

fill  for  when  I  discovered  propped  against  my  bottle- 
rack  a  tiny  envelope  with  my  name  inscribed  upon  it. 
Tearing  it  open  I  read  the  following : — 

"  MY  OWN  DEAKEST, 

"  My  father  has  just  informed  me  of  his  interview 
with  you.  I  cannot  understand  it  or  ascribe  a  reason 
for  it.  But  whatever  happens,  remember  that  I  will  be 
your  wife,  and  the  wife  of  no  other. 

"  May  God  bless  and  keep  you  always. 
"  Your  own, 

"  PHYLLIS. 

"  P.  S. — You  must  let  me  know  your  address  in 
London." 

With  such  a  letter  under  my  pillow,  can  it  be 
doubted  that  my  dreams  were  good?  How  little  I 
guessed  the  troubles  to  which  this  introduction  was  des 
tined  to  be  the  prelude  ! 


CHAPTER  II. 

MY   FIRST  EXPERIENCE   IS   LONDON. 

Now  I  come  to  think  the  matter  out,  I  don't  know 
that  I  could  give  you  any  definite  idea  of  what  my  first 
impressions  of  London  were.  One  thing  at  least  is  cer 
tain,  I'd  never  had  experience  of  anything  approaching 
such  a  city  before,  and,  between  ourselves,  I  can't  say 
that  I  ever  want  to  again.  The  constant  rush  and  roar 
of  traffic,  the  crowds  of  people  jostling  each  other  on 
the  pavements,  the  happiness  and  the  misery,  the  riches 
and  the  poverty,  all  mixed  up  together  in  one  jumble, 
like  good  and  bad  fruit  in  a  basket,  fairly  took  my 
breath  away ;  and  when  I  went  down,  that  first  after 
noon,  and  saw  the  Park  in  all  its  summer  glory,  my 
amazement  can  be  better  imagined  than  described. 

I  could  have  watched  the  carriages,  horsemen,  and 
promenaders  for  hours  on  end  without  any  sense  of 
weariness.  And  when  a  bystander,  seeing  that  I  was  a 
stranger,  took  compassion  upon  my  ignorance  and  con 
descended  to  point  out  to  me  the  various  celebrities,  my 
pleasure  was  complete.  There  certainly  is  no  place  like 
London  for  show  and  glitter,  I'll  grant  you  that ;  but 
all  the  same  I'd  no  more  think  of  taking  up  my  perma 
nent  abode  in  it  than  I'd  try  to  cross  the  Atlantic  in  a 
Malay  sampan. 

Having  before  I  left  Sydney  been  recommended  to  a 

37 


38  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

quiet  hotel  in  a  neighbourhood  of  the  Strand,  conven 
ient  both  for  sight-seeing  and  my  business,  I  had  my 
luggage  conveyed  thither,  and  prepared  to  make  myself 
comfortable  for  a  time.  Every  day  I  waited  eagerly  for 
a  letter  from  my  sweetheart,  but  its  non-arrival  con 
vinced  me  that  they  had  not  yet  arrived  in  London.  As 
it  turned  out  later,  they  had  delayed  their  departure 
from  Naples  for  two  days,  and  had  spent  another  three 
in  Florence,  two  in  Eome,  and  a  day  and  a  half  in 
Paris. 

But  one  morning  my  faithful  watch  over  the  letter 
rack,  which  was  already  becoming  a  standing  joke  in 
the  hotel,  was  rewarded.  An  envelope  bearing  an  Eng 
lish  stamp  and  postmark,  and  addressed  in  a  handwrit 
ing  that  was  as  familiar  to  me  as  my  own,  stared  me  in 
the  face.  To  take  it  out  and  break  the  seal  was  the 
work  of  a  moment.  It  was  only  a  matter  of  a  few  lines, 
but  it  brought  me  news  that  raised  me  to  the  seventh 
heaven  of  delight. 

They  had  arrived  in  London  the  previous  afternoon, 
were  staying  at  the  Hotel  Metropole,  would  leave  town 
for  the  country  at  the  end  of  the  week,  but  in  the  mean 
time,  if  I  wished  to  see  her,  my  sweetheart  would  be  in 
the  entrance  hall  of  the  British  Museum  the  following 
morning  at  eleven  o'clock. 

How  I  conducted  myself  in  the  interval  between  my 
receipt  of  the  letter  and  the  time  of  the  appointment,  I 
have  not  the  least  remembrance ;  I  only  kiiow  that  half- 
past  ten,  on  the  following  morning,  found  me  pacing 
up  and  down  the  street  before  that  venerable  pile,  scan 
ning  with  eager  eyes  every  conveyance  that  approached 
me  from  the  right  or  left.  The  minutes  seemed  to  drag 
by  with  a  slowness  I  had  never  before  observed  in  them, 
but  at  length  the  time  arrived. 


MY  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  IN  LONDON.  39 

A  kindly  church  clock  in  the  neighbourhood  struck 
the  hour,  and  others  all  round  it  immediately  took  up 
the  tale.  Before  the  last  stroke  had  died  away  a  han 
som  turned  towards  the  gates  from  Bury  Street,  and  in 
it,  looking  the  picture  of  health  and  dainty  beauty,  sat 
the  girl  who,  I  had  good  reason  to  know,  was  more  than 
all  the  world  to  me.  To  attract  her  attention  and  signal 
to  the  driver  to  pull  up  was  the  work  of  a  second,  and 
a  minute  later  I  had  helped  her  to  alight,  and  we  were 
strolling  together  across  the  square  towards  the  building. 

"  Ah,  Dick,"  she  said,  with  a  roguish  smile,  in  an 
swer  to  a  question  of  mine,  "you  don't  know  what 
trouble  I  had  to  get  away  this  morning.  Papa  had  a 
dozen  places  he  wished  me  to  go  to  with  him.  But 
when  I  told  him  I  had  some  very  important  business  of 
my  own  to  attend  to  before  I  could  go  calling  with  him, 
he  was  kind  enough  to  let  me  off." 

"  I'll  be  bound  he  thought  you  meant  business  with 
a  dressmaker,"  I  replied  laughing,  determined  to  show 
her  that  I  was  not  unversed  in  the  ways  of  women. 

"  I'm  afraid  that  he  did,"  she  answered  blushing, 
"  and  for  that  very  reason  alone  I  feel  horribly  guilty. 
But  my  heart  told  me  I  must  see  you  at  once,  whatever 
happened." 

Could  any  man  desire  a  prettier  speech  than  that  ? 
If  so,  I  was  not  that  man.  We  were  inside  the  building 
by  this  time,  ascending  the  great  staircase.  A  number 
of  pretty  well-dressed  girls  were  to  be  seen  here  and 
there  about  the  rooms  and  corridors,  but  not  one  who 
could  in  any  way  compare  with  the  fair  Australian  by 
my  side — at  least,  not  to  my  thinking.  As  we  entered 
the  long  room  at  the  top  of  the  stairs,  I  thought  it  a 
good  opportunity  to  ask  the  question  I  had  been  long 
ing  to  put  to  her. 


40  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  Phyllis,  my  sweetheart,"  I  said,  with  almost  a 
tremor  in  my  voice,  "  it  is  a  fortnight  now  since  I  spoke 
to  you.  You  have  had  plenty  of  time  to  consider  our 
position.  Have  you  regretted  giving  me  your  love  ?  " 

We  came  to  a  standstill,  and  leant  over  a  case  to 
gether,  but  what  it  contained  I'm  sure  I  haven't  the  very 
vaguest  idea. 

She  looked  up  into  my  face  with  a  sweet  smile. 

"  Not  for  one  single  instant,  Dick !  Having  once 
given  you  my  love,  is  it  likely  I  should  want  it  back 
again  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  Somehow  I  can't  discover  sufficient 
reason  for  your  giving  it  to  me  at  all." 

"  Well,  be  sure  I'm  not  going  to  tell  you.  You  might 
grow  conceited.  Isn't  it  sufficient  that  I  do  love  you,  and 
that  I  am  not  going  to  give  you  up,  whatever  happens." 

"  More  than  sufficient,"  I  answered  solemnly.  "  But, 
Phyllis,  don't  you  think  I  can  induce  your  father  to  re 
lent?  Surely  as  a  good  parent  he  must  be  anxious  to 
promote  your  happiness  at  any  cost  of  pain  to  himself." 

"  I  can't  understand  it  at  all.  He  has  been  so  devoted 
to  me  all  my  life  that  his  conduct  now  is  quite  inexpli 
cable.  Never  once  has  he  denied  me  anything  I  really 
set  my  heart  upon,  and  he  always  promised  me  that  I 
should  be  allowed  to  marry  whomsoever  I  wished,  pro 
vided  he  was  a  good  and  honourable  man,  and  one  of 
whom  he  could  in  any  way  approve.  And  you  are  that, 
Dick,  or  I  shouldn't  have  loved  you,  I  know." 

"  I  don't  think  I'm  any  worse  than  the  ordinary  run 
of  men,  dearest,  if  I  am  no  better.  At  any  rate  I  love 
you  with  a  true  and  honourable  love.  But  don't  you 
think  he  will  come  round  in  time  ?  " 

"  I'm  almost  afraid  not.  He  referred  to  it  only  yes 
terday,  and  seemed  quite  angry  that  I  should  have  dared 


MY  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  IN  LONDON.  41 

to  entertain  any  thought  of  you  after  what  he  said  to  me 
on  board  ship.  It  was  the  first  time  in  my  life  he  ever 
spoke  to  me  in  such  a  tone,  and  I  felt  it  keenly.  No, 
Dick,  there  is  something  behind  it  all  that  I  cannot 
understand.  Some  mystery  that  I  would  give  anything 
to  fathom.  Papa  has  not  been  himself  ever  since  we 
started  for  England.  Indeed,  his  very  reason  for  com 
ing  at  all  is  to  me  a  mystery.  And  now  that  he  is  here 
he  seems  in  one  continual  dread  of  meeting  somebody — 
but  who  that  somebody  is,  and  why  my  father,  who  has 
the  name  and  reputation  of  being  such  a  courageous, 
determined,  honourable  man,  should  be  afraid,  is  a 
thing  I  cannot  understand." 

"  It's  all  very  mysterious  and  unfortunate.  But  can 
nothing  be  done  ?  Don't  you  think  if  I  were  to  see  him 
again,  and  put  the  matter  plainly  before  him,  something 
might  be  arranged  ?  " 

"  It  would  be  worse  than  useless  at  present,  I  fear. 
No,  you  must  just  leave  it  to  me,  and  I'll  do  my  best  to 
talk  him  round.  Ever  since  my  mother  died  I  have 
been  as  his  right  hand,  and  it  will  be  strange  if  he  does 
not  listen  to  me  and  see  reason  in  the  end." 

K 

Seeing  who  it  was  that  would  plead  with  him  I  did 
not  doubt  it. 

By  this  time  we  had  wandered  through  many  rooms, 
and  now  found  ourselves  in  the  Egyptian  Department, 
surrounded  by  strange  dead  folk  and  weird  objects  of  all 
sorts  and  descriptions.  There  was  something  almost 
uncanny  about  our  love-making  in  such  a  place,  among 
these  men  and  women  whose  wooings  had  been  con 
ducted  in  a  country  so  widely  different  to  ours,  and  in 
an  age  that  was  dead  and  gone  over  two  thousand  years 
ere  we  were  born.  I  spoke  of  this  to  Phyllis.  She 
laughed  and  gave  a  little  shiver. 


42  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  I  wonder,"  she  said,  looking  down  on  the  swathed 
up  figure  of  a  princess  of  the  royal  house  of  Egypt,  lying 
stretched  out  in  the  case  by  which  we  sat,  "  if  this  great 
lady,  who  lies  so  still  and  silent  now,  had  any  trouble 
with  her  love  affair  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  she  had  more  than  one  beau  to  her  string, 
and  not  being  allowed  to  have  one  took  the  other,"  I 
answered,  "  though  from  what  we  can  see  of  her  now  she 
doesn't  look  as  if  she  were  ever  capable  of  much  fascina 
tion,  does  she  ?  " 

As  I  spoke  I  looked  from  the  case  to  the  girl  and 
compared  the  swaddled-up  figure  with  the  healthy,  liv 
ing,  lovely  creature  by  my  side.  But  I  hadn't  much 
time  for  comparison.  My  sweetheart  had  taken  her 
watch  from  her  pocket  and  was  glancing  at  it. 

"  A  quarter  to  twelve,"  she  cried  in  alarm.  "  Oh, 
Dick,  I  must  be  going.  I  promised  to  meet  papa  at 
twelve,  and  whatever  happens  I  must  not  keep  him 
waiting." 

She  rose  and  was  about  to  pull  on  her  gloves.  But 
before  she  had  time  to  do  so  I  had  taken  a  little  case 
from  my  pocket  and  opened  it.  When  she  saw  what  it 
contained  she  could  not  help  a  little  womanly  cry  of 
delight. 

"  Oh,  Dick !  you  naughty,  extravagant  boy ! " 

"Why,  dearest?  Why  naughty  or  extravagant  to 
give  the  woman  I  love  a  little  token  of  my  affection  ?  " 
As  I  spoke  I  slipped  the  ring  over  her  pretty  finger  and 
raised  the  hand  to  my  lips. 

"  Will  you  try,  whenever  you  look  at  that  ring,  to 
remember  that  the  man  who  gave  it  to  you  loves  you 
with  all  his  heart  and  soul,  and  will  count  no  trouble 
too  great,  or  no  hardship  too  hard,  to  make  you 
happy?" 


MY  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  IN  LONDON.  43 

"  I  will  remember,"  she  said  solemnly,  and  when  I 
looked  I  saw  that  tears  stood  in  her  eyes.  She  brushed 
them  hastily  away,  and  after  an  interlude  which  it 
hardly  becomes  me  to  mention  here,  we  went  down 
the  stairs  again  and  out  into  the  street,  almost  in 
silence. 

Having  called  a  cab,  I  placed  her  in  it  and  almost 
nervously  asked  the  question  that  had  been  some  time 
upon  my  mind : 

"  When  shall  I  see  you  again?" 

"  I  cannot  tell.  Perhaps  next  week.  But  I'll  let 
you  know.  In  the  meantime  don't  despair,  all  will 
come  right  yet !  Good-bye." 

"  Good-bye  and  God  bless  you  !  " 

I  lifted  my  hat,  she  waved  her  hand,  and  next  mo 
ment  the  hansom  disappeared  round  the  corner. 

I  wandered  slowly  down  the  pavement  towards  Oxford 
Street,  then,  turning  to  my  left  hand,  made  my  way  city 
wards.  My  mind  was  full  of  my  interview  with  the  sweet 
girl  who  had  just  left  me,  and  almost  unconsciously, 
wrapped  in  my  own  thoughts,  I  wandered  on  and  on, 
until  I  found  myself  in  a  quarter  of  London  into  which 
I  had  never  hitherto  penetrated.  The  streets  were  nar 
row,  and,  as  if  to  be  in  keeping  with  the  general  air  of 
gloom,  the  shops  were  small  and  of  a  sordid  nature; 
hand-carts,  barrows,  and  stalls  lined  the  grimy  pave 
ments,  and  the  noise  was  deafening. 

A  clock  in  a  belfry  near  by  struck  "  One,"  and  as  I 
was  beginning  to  feel  hungry,  and  knew  myself  to  be  a 
long  way  from  my  hotel,  I  cast  about  me  for  a  lunching- 
place.  But  it  was  some  time  before  I  encountered  the 
class  of  restaurant  I  wanted.  It  was  situated  at  the  cor 
ner  of  two  streets,  carried  a  foreign  name  over  the  door, 
and,  though  considerably  the  worse  for  wear,  had  a 
4 


44  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

cleaner  appearance  than  any  other  I  had  as  yet  experi 
enced. 

Pushing  the  door  open  I  entered.  An  unmistakable 
Frenchman,  whose  appearance,  however,  betokened  long 
residence  in  England,  stood  behind  a  narrow  counter 
polishing  an  absinthe  glass.  He  bowed  politely  and 
asked  my  business. 

"  Have  you  a  lunching-room  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Oui,  Monsieur !  Cer-tain-lee.  If  Monsieur  will 
walk  upstairs  I  will  take  his  order  ! " 

Waving  his  hand  in  the  direction  of  a  staircase  in  the 
corner  of  the  shop  he  again  bowed  elaborately,  and,  fol 
lowing  the  direction  he  indicated,  I  proceeded  to  the 
room  above.  It  was  long  and  lofty,  commanded  an 
excellent  view  of  both  thoroughfares,  and  was  furnished 
with  a  few  inferior  pictures,  a  much  worn  oilcloth,  half- 
a-dozen  small  marble-topped  tables,  and  four  times  as 
many  chairs. 

When  I  entered  three  men  were  in  occupation. 
Two  were  playing  chess  at  a  side  table,  while  a  third, 
who  had  evidently  no  connection  with  them,  was  watch 
ing  the  game  from  a  distance,  pretending  at  the  same 
time  to  be  absorbed  in  his  paper.  Seating  myself  at  a 
table  near  the  door,  I  examined  the  bill  of  fare,  selected 
my  lunch,  and  then,  to  amuse  myself  while  it  was  pre 
paring,  fell  to  scrutinising  my  companions. 

Of  the  chess-players,  one  was  a  big,  burly  fellow, 
with  enormous  arms,  protruding  rheumy  eyes,  a  florid 
complexion,  and  a  voluminous  red  beard.  His  oppo 
nent  was  of  a  much  smaller  build,  with  pale  features,  a 
tiny  moustache,  and  watery  blue  eyes.  He  wore  a  pince- 
nez,  and  from  the  length  of  his  hair  and  a  dab  of  crim 
son  lake  upon  his  shirt  cuff,  I  argued  him  an  artist. 

Leaving  the  chess  players,  my  eyes  lighted  on  the 


MY  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  IN  LONDON.  45 

stranger  on  the  other  side.  He  was  much  more  inter 
esting.  Indeed,  I  was  surprised  to  see  a  man  of  his 
stamp  in  the  house  at  all.  He  was  tall  and  slim,  but 
exquisitely  formed  and  plainly  the  possessor  of  enor 
mous  strength.  His  head,  if  only  from  a  phrenological 
point  of  view,  was  a  magnificent  one,  crowned  with  a 
wealth  of  jet  black  hair.  His  eyes  were  dark  as  night 
and  glittered  like  those  of  a  snake.  His  complexion  was 
of  a  decidedly  olive  hue,  though  as  he  sat  in  the  shadow 
of  the  corner,  it  was  difficult  to  tell  this  at  first  sight. 

But  what  most  fascinated  me  about  this  curious  in 
dividual  was  the  interest  he  was  taking  in  the  game 
that  the  other  men  were  playing.  He  kept  his  eyes 
fixed  on  the  board  continually,  looking  anxiously  from 
one  to  the  other  as  a  move  trembled  in  the  balance, 
smiling  sardonically  when  his  desires  were  realised,  and 
sighing  almost  aloud  when  a  mistake  occurred. 

Every  moment  I  expected  his  anxiety  or  disappoint 
ment  to  find  vent  in  words,  but  he  always  managed  to 
control  himself  in  time.  When  he  became  excited  I 
noticed  that  his  whole  body  quivered  under  its  influence, 
and  once  when  the  smaller  of  the  players  made  an  in 
judicious  move  a  look  flew  into  his  face  that  was  full  of 
such  malignant  intensity  that  I'll  own  I  was  almost 
frightened  by  it.  What  effect  it  would  have  had  on  the 
innocent  cause  of  it  all,  had  he  seen  it,  I  should  have 
f  been  sorry  to  conjecture. 

Just  as  my  lunch  made  its  appearance  the  game 
arrived  at  a  conclusion,  and  the  taller  of  the  two  players, 
having  made  a  remark  in  German,  rose  to  leave.  It  was 
evident  that  the  smaller  man  had  won,  and  in  an  excess 
of  pride,  to  which  I  gathered  his  nature  was  not  alto 
gether  a  stranger,  looked  round  the  room  as  if  in  de 
fiance. 


46  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

Doing  so,  his  eyes  met  those  of  the  man  in  the  cor 
ner.  I  glanced  from  one  to  the  other,  but  my  gaze 
rested  longest  on  the  face  of  the  smaller  man.  So  fas 
cinated  did  he  seem  to  be  by  the  other's  stare  that  his 
eyes  became  set  and  stony.  It  was  just  as  if  he  were 
mesmerised.  The  man  he  looked  at  rose,  approached 
him,  sat  down  at  the  table  and  began  to  arrange  the 
men  on  the  board  without  a  word.  •  Then  he  looked  up 
again. 

"  May  I  have  the  pleasure  of  giving  you  a  game  ?  " 
he  asked  in  excellent  English,  bowing  slightly  as  he 
spoke,  and  moving  a  pawn  with  his  long  white  fin 
gers. 

The  little  man  found  voice  enough  to  murmur  an 
appropriate  reply  and  they  began  their  game,  while  I 
turned  to  my  lunch.  But  in  spite  of  myself  I  found 
my  eyes  continually  turning  to  see  what  was  happening 
at  the  other  table.  And,  indeed,  it  was  a  curious 
sight. 

The  tall  man  had  thrown  himself  into  the  business 
of  the  game,  heart  and  soul.  He  half  sat,  half  crouched 
over  the  board,  reminding  me  more  of  a  gigantic  hawk 
hovering  over  a  poultry  yard  than  anything  else  I  can 
liken  him  to. 

His  eyes  were  riveted  first  on  the  men  before  him 
and  then  on  his  opponent — his  long  fingers  twitched 
and  twined  over  each  move,  and  seemed  as  if  they  would 
never  release  their  hold.  Not  once  did  he  speak,  but 
his  attitude  was  more  expressive  than  any  words. 

The  effect  on  the  little  man,  his  companion,  was 
overwhelming.  He  was  quite  unable  to  do  anything, 
but  sat  huddled  up  in  his  chair  as  if  terrified  by  his  de 
moniacal  companion.  The  result  even  a  child  might 
have  foreseen.  The  tall  man  won,  and  the  little  man, 


MY  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  IN  LONDON.  4? 

only  too  glad  to  have  come  out  of  the  ordeal  with  a 
whole  skin,  seized  his  hat  and,  with  a  half-uttered  apol 
ogy,  darted  from  the  room. 

For  a  moment  or  two  his  extraordinary  opponent 
sat  playing  with  the  chessmen.  Then  he  looked  up  at 
me  and  without  hesitation  said,  accompanying  his  re 
mark  with  a  curious  smile  for  which  I  could  not  at  all 
account : 

"  The  limitations  of  the  fool  are  the  birth  gifts  of 
the  wise  ! " 

Not  knowing  what  reply  to  make  to  this  singular 
assertion,  I  wisely  held  my  tongue.  This  brought  about 
a  change  in  his  demeanour ;  he  rose  from  his  seat,  and 
came  across  to  where  I  sat.  Seating  himself  in  a  chair 
directly  opposite  me,  he  folded  his  hands  in  his  lap, 
after  the  manner  of  a  demure  old  spinster,  and,  having 
looked  at  me  earnestly,  said  with  an  almost  incompre 
hensible  sweetness  of  tone : 

"  I  think  you  will  agree  with  me,  Mr.  Hatteras, 
that  half  the  world  is  born  for  the  other  half  to  prey 
upon ! " 

Really  he  was  a  most  extraordinary  man.  Now, 
how  on  earth  did  he  know  my  name  ?  I  stumbled  out 
some  sort  of  reply,  which  evidently  did  not  impress  him 
very  much,  for  he  began  again  : 

"  Our  friend  who  has  just  left  us  will  most  certainly 
be  one  of  those  preyed  upon.  I  pity  him  because  he 
will  not  find  the  smallest  grain  of  pleasure  in  his  life. 
You,  on  the  other  hand,  will,  unwittingly,  be  on  the 
other  side.  Circumstances  will  arrange  that  for  you. 
Some  have,  of  course,  no  desire  to  prey ;  but  necessity 
forces  it  on  them.  Yourself,  for  instance.  Some  only 
prey  when  they  are  quite  sure  there  will  be  no  manner 
of  risk.  Our  German  friend  who  played  the  previous 


48  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

game,  is  an  example.  Others,  again,  never  lose  an  op 
portunity.  Candidly  speaking,  to  which  class  should 
you  imagine  I  belong  ?  " 

He  smiled  as  he  put  the  question,  and,  his  thin  lips 
parting,  I  could  just  catch  the  glitter  of  the  short  teeth 
with  which  his  mouth  was  furnished.  For  the  third 
time  since  I  had  made  his  acquaintance  I  did  not  know 
which  way  to  answer.  However,  I  made  a  shot  and 
said  something. 

"  I  really  know  nothing  about  you,"  I  answered. 
"  But  from  your  kindness  in  giving  our  artist  friend  a 
game,  and  now  in  allowing  me  the  benefit  of  your  con 
versation,  I  should  say  you  only  prey  upon  your  fellow 
men  when  dire  extremity  drives  you  to  it." 

"  And  would  you  be  wrong.  I  am  of  the  last  class 
I  named.  There  is  only  one  .sport  that  is  of  any  interest 
to  me  in  life,  and  that  is  the  opportunity  of  making 
capital  out  of  my  fellow  humans.  You  see,  I  am  candid 
with  you,  Mr.  Hatteras  !  " 

"  Pray  excuse  me.  But  you  know  my  name  !  As  I 
have  never,  to  my  knowledge,  set  eyes  on  you  before, 
would  you  mind  telling  me  how  you  became  acquainted 
with  it?" 

"  With  every  pleasure.  But  before  I  do  so  I  think 
it  only  fair  to  tell  you  that  you  will  not  believe  my  ex 
planation.  And  yet  it  should  convince  you.  At  any 
rate,  we'll  try.  In  your  right  hand  top  waistcoat  pocket 
you  have  three  cards."  Here  he  leant  his  head  on  his 
hands  and  shut  his  eyes.  "  One  is  crinkled  and  torn, 
but  it  has  written  on  it  in  pencil,  the  name  Edward 
Braithwaite,  Macquarrie  Street,  Sydney.  I  presume 
the  name  is  Braithwaite,  but  the  t  and  e  are  almost  il 
legible.  The  second  is  rather  a  high  sounding  one — the 
Hon.  Sylvester  Wetherell,  Potts  Point,  Sydney,  New 


MY  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  IN  LONDON.  49 

South  Wales,  and  the  third  is,  I  take  it,  your  own, 
Richard  Hatteras.  Am  I  right  ?  " 

I  put  iny  fingers  in  my  pocket,  and  drew  out  what  it 
contained — a  half  sovereign,  a  shilling,  a  small  piece  of 
pencil,  and  three  cards.  The  first,  a  well-worn  piece  of 
pasteboard,  bore,  surely  enough,  the  name  of  Edward 
Braithwaite,  and  was  that  of  the  solicitor  with  whom  I 
transacted  my  business  in  Sydney  ;  the  second  was  given 
me  by  my  sweetheart's  father  the  day  before  we  left 
Australia  ;  and  the  third  was  sure  enough  my  own. 

Was  this  witchcraft  or  only  some  clever  conjuring 
trick  ?  I  asked  myself  the  question,  but  could  give  it 
no  satisfactory  answer.  At  any  rate  you  may  be  sure 
it  did  not  lessen  my  respect  for  my  singular  compan 
ion. 

"  Ah !  I  am  right  then ! "  he  cried  exultingly. 
"  Isn't  it  strange  how  the  love  of  being  right  remains 
with  us,  when  we  think  we  have  safely  combated  every 
other  self-conceit?  Well,  Mr.  Hatteras,  I  am  very 
pleased  to  have  made  your  acquaintance.  Somehow  I 
seem  to  think  we  are  destined  to  meet  again — where  I 
cannot  say.  At  any  rate,  let  us  hope  that  that  meeting 
will  be  as  pleasant  and  successful  as  this  has  been." 

But  I  hardly  heard  what  he  said.  I  was  still  puz 
zling  my  brains  over  his  extraordinary  conjuring  trick 
— for  trick  I  am  convinced  it  was.  He  had  risen  and 
was  slowly  drawing  on  his  gloves  when  I  spoke. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  over  those  cards,"  I  said, 
"  and  I  am  considerably  puzzled.  How  on  earth  did 
you  know  they  were  there  ?  " 

"  If  I  told  you,  you  would  have  no  more  faith  in  my 
powers.  So  with  your  permission  I  will  assume  the  vir 
tue  of  modesty.  Call  it  a  conjuring  trick,  if  you  like. 
Many  curious  things  are  hidden  under  that  compre- 


50  A   BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

hensive  term.  But  that  is  neither  here  nor  there.  Be 
fore  I  go  would  you  like  to  see  one  more  ?  " 

"  Very  much,  indeed,  if  it's  as  good  as  the  last ! "  I 
replied. 

In  the  window  stood  a  large  glass  dish,  half  full  of 
water  and  having  a  dark  brown  fly  paper  floating  on 
the  surface.  He  brought  it  across  to  the  table  at  which 
I  sat,  and  drained  the  water  into  a  jug  near  by,  leaving 
the  paper  sticking  to  the  bottom. 

This  done,  he  took  a  tiny  leather  case  from  his 
pocket  and  a  small  bottle  out  of  that  again.  From  this 
bottle  he  poured  a  few  drops  of  some  highly  pungent 
liquid  on  to  the  paper,  with  the  result  that  it  grew  black 
as  ink  and  threw  off  a  tiny  vapour,  which  licked  the 
edges  of  the  bowl  and  curled  upwards  in  a  faint  spiral 
column. 

"  There,  Mr.  Hatteras,  this  is  a — well,  a  trick — I 
learned  from  an  old  woman  in  Benares.  It  is  a  better 
one  than  the  last  and  will  repay  your  interest.  If  you 
will  look  on  that  paper  for  a  moment,  and  try  to  con 
centrate  your  attention,  you  will  see  something  that 
will,  I  think,  astonish  you." 

Hardly  believing  that  I  should  see  anything  at  all 
I  looked.  But  for  some  seconds  without  success.  My 
scepticism,  however,  soon  left  me.  I  saw  only  the  coarse 
grain  of  the  paper  and  the  thin  vapour  rising  from  it. 
Then  the  knowledge  that  I  was  gazing  into  a  dish  van 
ished.  I  forgot  my  companion  and  the  previous  con 
juring  trick,  I  saw  only  a  picture  opening  out  before 
me — that  of  a  handsomely  furnished  room,  and  a  girl 
sitting  in  an  easy  chair  crying  as  if  her  heart  were 
breaking.  The  room  I  had  never  seen  before,  but  the 
girl  I  should  have  known  among  a  thousand.  It  was 
Phyllis,  my  sweetheart ! 


MY  FIRST  EXPERIENCE  IN  LONDON.  51 

I  looked  and  looked,  and  as  I  gazed  at  her,  I  heard 
her  call  my  name.  "  Oh,  Dick  !  Dick  !  come  to  me  ! " 
Instantly  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  meaning  to  cross  the 
room  to  her.  Next  moment  I  was  aware  of  a  loud 
crash.  The  scene  vanished,  my  senses  came  back  to 
me,  and  to  my  astonishment  I  found  myself  standing 
alongside  the  overturned  restaurant  table.  The  glass 
dish  lay  on  the  floor  shattered  into  a  thousand  frag 
ments.  My  friend,  the  conjurer,  had  disappeared. 

Having  righted  the  table  again,  I  went  downstairs 
and  explained  my  misfortune.  When  I  had  paid  my 
bill  I  took  my  departure,  more  troubled  in  mind  than  I 
cared  to  confess.  That  it  was  only  what  he  had  called 
it,  a  conjuring  trick,  I  felt  I  ought  to  be  certain,  but 
still  it  was  clever  and  uncanny  enough,  I  must  own,  to 
render  me  very  uncomfortable. 

In  vain  I  tried  to  drive  the  remembrance  of  the 
scene  from  my  brain,  but  it  would  not  be  dispelled.  At 
length,  to  satisfy  myself,  I  resolved  that  if  the  memory 
of  it  remained  with  me  so  vividly  in  the  morning  I 
would  take  the  bull  by  the  horns  and  call  at  the  Metro- 
pole  to  make  enquiries. 

I  returned  to  my  hotel  in  time  for  dinner,  but  still 
I  could  not  rid  myself  of  the  feeling  of  approaching 
calamity.  Having  sent  my  meal  away  almost  un 
touched,  I  called  a  hansom  and  drove  to  the  nearest 
theatre,  but  the  picture  of  Phyllis  crying  and  calling 
for  me  in  vain  kept  me  company  throughout  the  per 
formance,  and  brought  me  home  miserable  at  the  con 
clusion.  All  night  long  I  dreamed  of  it,  seeing  the 
same  picture  again  and  again,  and  hearing  the  same 
despairing  cry,  "  Oh,  Dick !  Dick  !  come  to  me  ! " 

In  the  morning  there  was  only  one  thing  to  be  done. 
Accordingly,  after  breakfast  I  set  off  to  make  sure  that 


52  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

nothing  was  the  matter.  On  the  way  I  tried  to  reason 
with  myself.  I  asked  how  it  was  that  I,  Dick  Hatteras, 
a  man  who  thought  he  knew  the  world,  should  have 
been  so  impressed  with  a  bit  of  wizardry  as  to  be  willing 
to  risk  making  a  fool  of  myself  before  the  two  last  peo 
ple  in  the  world  I  wanted  to  think  me  one.  Once  I 
was  almost  tempted  to  turn  back,  but  while  the  inten 
tion  held  me  the  picture  rose  before  my  mind's  eye 
again,  and  on  I  went  more  determined  to  solve  the 
mystery  than  before. 

Arriving  at  the  hotel,  I  paid  my  cabman  off,  and 
entered  the  hall.  A  gorgeously  caparisoned  porter  stood 
on  the  steps,  and  of  him  I  enquired  where  I  could  find 
Miss  Wetherell.  Imagine  my  surprise  when  he  re 
plied  : 

"  They've  left,  sir.  Started  yesterday  afternoon, 
guite  suddenly,  for  Paris,  on  their  way  back  to  Aus 
tralia!" 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE   HOME   OF   MY   ANCESTORS. 

FOR  the  moment  I  could  hardly  believe  my  own 
ears.  Gone  ?  When  had  they  gone  ?  Where  had  they 
gone  ?  Why  had  they  gone  ?  What  could  have  in 
duced  them  to  leave  England  so  suddenly  ?  I  endeav 
oured  to  question  the  hall  porter  on  the  subject,  but  he 
could  tell  me  nothing  save  that  they  had  departed  for 
Paris  on  the  previous  day,  intending  to  proceed  across 
the  Continent  in  order  to  catch  the  first  Australian  boat 
at  Naples. 

Feeling  that  I  should  only  look  ridiculous  if  I  stayed 
cross-questioning  the  man  any  longer,  I  pressed  a  tip 
into  his  hand  and  went  slowly  back  to  my  own  hotel  to 
try  and  think  it  all  out.  But  though  I  devoted  some 
hours  to  a  consideration  of  it,  I  could  arrive  at  no  satis 
factory  conclusion.  The  one  vital  point  remained  and 
was  not  to  be  disputed — they  were  gone.  But  that 
evening  brought  me  enlightenment  in  the  shape  of  a 
letter,  written  in  London  and  posted  in  Dover.  It  ran 
as  follows : 

"  MONDAY  AFTEENOON. 

"MY  OWN  DEAREST — Something  terrible  has  hap 
pened  to  papa !  I  cannot  tell  you  what,  because  I  do 
not  know  myself.  He  went  out  this  morning  in  the 
best  of  health  and  spirits,  and  returned  half  an  hour 
ago  trembling  like  a  leaf  and  white  as  a  sheet.  He 

53 


54  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

had  only  strength  enough  left  to  reach  a  chair  in  my 
sitting-room  before  he  fainted  dead  away.  When  he 
came  to  himself  again  he  said,  '  Tell  your  maid  to  pack 
at  once.  There  is  not  a  moment  to  lose.  We  start  for 
Paris  this  evening  to  catch  the  next  boat  leaving  Naples 
for  Australia.'  I  said,  '  But,  papa ! '  '  Not  a  word,'  he 
answered.  '  I  have  seen  somebody  this  morning  whose 
presence  renders  it  impossible  for  us  to  remain  an  in 
stant  longer  in  England.  Go  and  pack  at  once  unless 
you  wish  my  death  to  lie  at  your  door.'  After  that  I 
could,  of  course,  do  nothing.  I  have  packed,  and  now, 
in  half  an  hour,  we  leave  England  again.  If  I  could 
only  see  you  to  say  good-bye,  but  that,  too,  is  impossi 
ble.  I  cannot  tell  you  what  it  all  means,  but  that  it  is 
very  serious  business  that  takes  us  away  so  suddenly  I 
feel  convinced.  My  father  seems  frightened  to  remain 
in  London  a  minute  longer  than  he  can  help.  He  even 
stands  at  the  window  as  I  write,  earnestly  scrutinis 
ing  everybody  who  enters  the  hotel.  And  now,  my 
own " 

But  what  follows,  the  reiterations  of  her  affection, 
her  vows  to  be  true  to  me,  etc.,  could  have  no  possible 
interest  for  anyone  save  lovers.  And  even  those  I  have, 
unfortunately,  not  the  leisure  now  to  gratify. 

I  sat  like  one  stunned.  All  enjoyment  seemed  sud 
denly  to  have  gone  out  of  life  for  me.  I  could  only 
sit  twirling  the  paper  in  my  hand  and  picturing  the 
train  flying  remorselessly  across  France,  bearing  away 
from  me  the  girl  I  loved  better  than  all  the  world.  I 
went  to  the  Park,  but  the  scene  there  had  no  longer  any 
interest  in  my  eyes.  I  went  later  on  to  a  theatre,  but  I 
found  no  enjoyment  in  the  piece  performed.  London 
had  suddenly  become  distasteful  to  me.  I  must  get  out 


THE  HOME  OF  MY  ANCESTORS.  55 

of  it,  but  where  could  I  go  ?  Every  place  was  alike  in 
my  present  humour.  Then  one  of  the  original  motives 
of  my  journey  rose  before  me.  And  I  determined  to  act 
on  the  suggestion. 

Next  morning  I  set  off  for  Hampshire  to  try,  if 
possible,  to  find  my  father's  old  home.  What  sort  of 
a  place  it  would  turn  out  to  be  I  had  not  the  very  re 
motest  idea.  But  I'd  got  the  address  by  heart,  and, 
with  the  help  of  a  Bradshaw,  for  that  place  I  steered. 

Leaving  the  train  at  Lyndhurst  Eoad — for  the  village 
I  was  in  search  of  was  situated  in  the  heart  of  the  New 
Forest — I  hired  a  ramshackle  conveyance  from  the  near 
est  innkeeper  and  started  off  for  it.  The  man  who 
drove  me  had  lived,  so  he  found  early  occasion  to  inform 
me,  in  the  neighbourhood  all  his  seventy  odd  years,  and 
it  struck  him  as  a  humorous  circumstance  that  he  had 
never  even  been  as  far  as  Southampton,  a  matter  of 
only  a  few  miles  by  road  and  ten  minutes  by  rail,  in  his 
life. 

And  that  self-same  sticking  at  home  is  one  of  the 
things  about  England  and  Englishmen  that  for  the  life 
of  me  I  cannot  understand.  Ilx  seems  to  me — of  course, 
I  don't  put  it  forward  that  I'm  right — that  a  man  might 
just  as  well  be  dead  as  only  know  God's  world  for  twenty 
miles  around  him.  It  argues  a  poverty  of  interest  in 
the  rest  of  creation,  I  reckon — a  sort  of  mud  turtle  ex 
istence  that's  neither  encouraging  nor  particularly  orna 
mental.  And  yet  if  everybody  went  a-travelling  where 
would  the  prosperity  of  England  be  ?  That's  a  point 
against  my  argument,  I  must  confess. 

Well,  perhaps  we'd  travelled  a  matter  of  two  miles 
when  it  struck  me  to  ask  my  charioteer  about  the 
place  to  which  we  were  proceeding,  just  to  find  out 
what  he  knew  about  it.  Thinks  I,  perhaps  the  old 


56  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

party  may  once  have  known  my  father.  I'll  try  him. 
Waiting  till  he  had  passed  a  load  of  hay  coming  along 
the  lane,  I  put  the  question  to  him. 

To  my  surprise  he  no  sooner  heard  the  name  than 
he  became  as  excited  as  it  was  possible  for  him  to  be. 

"  Hatteras !  Be  ye  a  Hatteras  ?  Well,  well,  now, 
dearie  me,  who'd  ha'  thought  it !  " 

"  Do  you  know  the  name  so  well,  then  ?  " 

"Ay!  ay!  I  know  the  name  well  enough;  who 
doesn't  in  these  parts  ?  There  was  the  old  Squire  and 
Lady  Margaret  when  first  I  remember.  Then  Squire 
Jasper  and  his  son,  the  captain,  as  was  killed  in  a  mu 
tiny  in  foreign  parts — and  Master  James " 

"  James — that  was  my  father's  name.  James  Dy- 
moke  Hatteras." 

"  You  Master  James'  son — you  don't  say  !  Well ! 
well !  Now  to  think  of  that  too  !  Him  that  ran  away 
from  home  after  words  with  the  Squire  and  went  to 
foreign  parts.  Who'd  have  thought  it !  Lawksee  me  ! 
Sir  William  will  be  right  down  glad  to  see  ye,  I'll  be 
bound." 

"  Sir  William,  and  who's  Sir  William  ?  " 

"  He's  the  only  one  left  now,  sir.  Lives  up  at  the 
House.  Ah,  dear  !  Ah,  dear  !  There's  been  a  power 
o'  trouble  in  the  family  these  years  past." 

By  this  time  the  aspect  of  the  country  was  changing. 
We  had  left  the  lane  behind  us,  ascended  a  short  hill, 
and  were  now  descending  it  again  through  what  looked 
to  my  eyes  more  like  a  stately  avenue  than  a  public 
road.  Beautiful  elms  reared  themselves  on  either  hand 
and  intermingled  their  branches  overhead  ;  while  before 
us,  through  a  gap  in  the  foliage,  we  could  just  make  out 
the  winding  river,  the  thatched  roofs  of  the  village  of 
which  we  had  come  in  search  lining  its  banks,  and  the 


THE  HOME  OF  MY  ANCESTORS.  57 

old  grey  tower  of  the  church  keeping  watch  and  ward 
over  all. 

There  was  to  my  mind  something  indescribably 
peaceful  and  even  sad  about  that  view,  a  mute  sympathy 
with  the  Past  that  I  could  hardly  account  for,  seeing 
that  I  was  Colonial  born  and  bred.  For  the  first  time 
since  my  arrival  in  England  the  real  beauty  of  the  place 
came  home  upon  me.  I  felt  as  if  I  could  have  looked 
for  ever  on  that  quiet  and  peaceful  spot. 

When  we  reached  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  and  had 
turned  the  corner,  a  broad,  well-made  stone  bridge  con 
fronted  us.  On  the  other  side  of  this  was  an  old- 
fashioned  country  inn,  with  its  signboard  dangling 
from  the  house  front,  and  opposite  it  again  a  dilapi 
dated  cottage  lolling  beside  two  iron  gates.  The  gates 
were  eight  feet  or  more  in  height,  made  of  finely 
wrought  iron,  and  supported  by  big  stone  posts,  on  the 
top  of  which  two  stone  animals,  griffins,  I  believe  they 
are  called,  holding  shields  in  their  claws,  looked  down 
in  ferocious  grandeur.  From  behind  the  gates  an  ave 
nue  wound  and  disappeared  into  the  wood. 

Without  consulting  me,  my  old  charioteer  drove  into 
the  inn  yard,  and,  having  thrown  the  reins  to  an  ostler, 
descended  from  the  vehicle.  I  followed  his  example, 
and  then  enquired  the  name  of  the  place  inside  the 
gates.  My  guide,  philosopher,  and  friend  looked  at  me 
rather  queerly  for  a  second  or  two,  and  then  recollect 
ing  that  I  was  a  stranger  in  the  place,  said : 

"  That  be  the  Hall  I  was  telling  'ee  about.  That's 
where  Sir  William  lives  !  " 

"  Then  that's  where  my  father  was  born  ?  " 

He  nodded  his  head,  and  as  he  did  so  I  noticed  that 
the  ostler  stopped  his  work  of  unharnessing  the  horse, 
and  looked  at  me  in  rather  a  surprised  fashion. 


58  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  Well,  that  being  so,"  I  said,  taking  my  stick  from 
the  trap,  and  preparing  to  stroll  off,  "  I'm  just  going 
to  investigate  a  bit.  You  bring  yourself  to  an  anchor  in 
yonder,  my  friend,  and  don't  stir  till  I  come  for  you 
again." 

He  took  himself  off  without  more  ado,  and  I  crossed 
the  road  towards  the  gates.  They  were  locked,  but  the 
little  entrance  by  the  tumble-down  cottage  stood  open, 
and  passing  through  this  I  started  up  the  drive.  It  was 
a  perfect  afternoon  ;  the  sunshine  straggled  in  through 
the  leafy  canopy  overhead  and  danced  upon  my  path. 
To  the  right  were  the  thick  fastnesses  of  the  preserves ; 
while  on  the  left,  across  the  meadows  I  could  discern 
the  sparkle  of  water  on  the  weir.  I  must  have  pro 
ceeded  for  nearly  a  mile  through  the  wood  before  I 
caught  sight  of  the  house. 

Then,  what  a  strange  experience  was  mine.  Leav 
ing  the  shelter  of  the  trees,  I  opened  on  to  the  most 
superb  park  the  mind  of  man  could  imagine.  A  herd 
of  deer  were  grazing  quietly  just  before  me,  a  woodman 
was  eating  his  dinner  in  the  shadow  of  an  oak ;  but  it 
was  not  upon  deer  or  woodman  that  I  looked,  but  rather 
at  the  house  that  stared  at  me  across  the  undulating  sea 
of  grass. 

It  was  a  noble  building,  of  grey  stone,  in  shape  al 
most  square,  with  many  curious  buttresses  and  angles. 
The  drive  ran  up  to  it  in  a  grand  sweep,  and  upon  the 
green  that  fronted  it  some  big  trees  reared  their  stately 
heads.  In  my  time  I'd  heard  a  lot  of  talk  about  the 
stately  homes  of  England,  but  this  was  the  first  time  I'd 
ever  set  eyes  on  one.  And  to  think  that  this  was  my 
father's  birthplace,  the  place  where  my  family  had  lived 
for  centuries.  I  could  only  stand  and  stare  at  it  in 
sheer  amazement. 


THE  HOME  OP  MY  ANCESTORS.  59 

You  see,  my  father  had  always  been  a  very  silent 
man,  and  though  he  used  sometimes  to  tell  us  yarns 
about  scrapes  he'd  got  into  as  a  boy ;  how  his  father 
was  a  very  stern  man,  and  had  sent  him  to  a  public 
school,  because  his  tutor  found  him  unmanageable,  we 
never  thought  that  he'd  been  anything  very  much  in 
the  old  days — at  any  rate,  not  one  of  such  a  family  as 
owned  this  house.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  felt  a  bit  doubt 
ful  as  to  what  I'd  better  do. 

Somehow  I  was  rather  nervous  about  going  up  to 
the  house  and  introducing  myself  as  a  member  of  the 
family  without  any  credentials  to  back  my  assertion  up ; 
and  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  I  didn't  want  to  go  away 
and  have  it  always  rankling  in  my  mind  that  I'd  seen 
the  old  place  and  been  afraid  to  go  inside.  My  mind 
once  made  up,  however,  off  I  went,  crossed  the  park, 
and  made  towards  the  front.  On  nearer  approach,  I 
discovered  that  everything  wore  the  same  air  of  neglect 
I  had  noticed  at  the  lodge.  The  drive  was  overgrown 
with  weeds  ;  no  carriage  seemed  to  have  passed  along  it 
for  ages.  Shutters  enclosed  many  of  the  windows,  and 
where  they  did  not,  not  one  but  several  of  the  panes 
were  broken.  Entering  the  great  stone  porch,  in  which 
it  would  have  been  possible  to  seat  a  score  of  people,  I 
pulled  the  antique  door-bell,  and  waited,  while  the  peal 
re-echoed  down  the  corridors,  for  the  curtain  to  go  up 
on  the  next  scene  in  my  domestic  drama. 

Presently  I  heard  footsteps  approaching.  A  lock 
turned,  and  the  great  door  swung  open.  An  old  man, 
whose  years  could  hardly  have  totalled  less  than  seventy, 
stood  before  me,  dressed  in  a  suit  of  solemn  black,  al 
most  green  with  age.  He  inquired  my  business  in  a 
wheezy  whisper.  In  reply  I  asked  if  Sir  William  Hat- 
teras  were  at  home.  Informing  me  that  he  would  find 
5 


60  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

out,  he  left  me  to  cool  my  heels  where  I  stood,  and  to 
ruminate  on  the  queerness  of  my  position.  In  five 
minutes  or  so  he  returned  and  signed  me  to  follow  him. 

The  hall  was  in  keeping  with  the  outside  of  the 
building,  lofty  and  imposing.  The  floor  was  of  oak, 
almost  black  with  age,  the  walls  were  beautifully  wain 
scoted  and  carved,  and  here  and  there  tall  armoured 
figures  looked  down  upon  me  in  disdainful  silence. 
But  the  crowning  glory  of  all  was  the  magnificent  stair 
case  that  ran  up  from  the  centre.  It  was  wide  enough 
and  strong  enough  to  take  a  coach  and  four,  the  pillars 
that  supported  it  were  exquisitely  carved,  as  were  the 
banisters  and  rails.  Half-way  up  was  a  sort  of  land 
ing,  from  which  again  the  stairs  branched  off  to  right 
and  left. 

Above  this  landing-place,  and  throwing  a  lovely  light 
down  into  the  hall,  was  a  magnificent  stained-glass 
window,  and  on  a  lozenge  in  the  centre  of  it  the  arms 
that  had  so  much  puzzled  me  on  the  gateway.  A  nobler 
hall  no  one  could  wish  to  possess,  but  brooding  over  it 
was  the  same  air  of  poverty  and  neglect  I  had  noticed 
all  about  the  place.  By  the  time  I  had  taken  in  these 
things,  my  guide  had  reached  a  door  at  the  farther  end. 
Pushing  it  open  he  signed  to  me  to  enter,  and  I  did  so, 
to  find  a  tall,  elderly  man  of  stern  aspect  awaiting  my 
coming. 

He,  like  his  servant,  was  dressed  entirely  in  black, 
with  the  exception  of  a  white  tie,  which  gave  his  figure 
a  semi-clerical  appearance.  His  face  was  long  and 
somewhat  pinched,  his  chin  and  upper  lip  were  shaven, 
and  his  snow-white,  close-cropped  whiskers  ran  in  two 
straight  lines  from  his  jaw  up  to  level  with  his  piercing, 
hawk-like  eyes.  He  would  probably  have  been  about 
seventy-five  years  of  age,  but  he  did  not  carry  it  well. 


THE  HOME  OF  MY  ANCESTORS.  61 

In  a  low,  monotonous  voice  he  bade  me  welcome,  and 
pointed  to  a  chair,  himself  remaining  standing. 

"  My  servant  tells  me  you  say  your  name  is  Hat- 
teras  ?  " 

"  That  is  so.  My  father  was  James  Dymoke  Hat- 
teras." 

He  looked  at  me  very  sternly  for  almost  a  minute, 
not  for  a  second  betraying  the  slightest  sign  of  surprise. 
Then  putting  his  hands  together,  finger  tip  to  finger  tip, 
as  I  discovered  later  was  his  invariable  habit  while  think 
ing,  he  said  solemnly : 

"James  was  my  younger  brother.  He  misconducted 
himself  gravely  in  England  and  was  sent  abroad.  After 
a  brief  career  of  spendthrift  extravagance  in  Australia, 
we  never  heard  of  him  again.  You  may  be  his  son,  but 
then  on  the  other  hand,  of  course,  you  may  not.  I  have 
no  means  of  judging." 

"  I  give  you  my  word,"  I  answered,  a  little  nettled 
by  his  speech  and  the  insinuation  contained  in  it,  "  but 
if  you  want  further  proof  I've  got  a  Latin  book  in  my 
portmanteau  with  my  father's  name  upon  the  fly  leaf, 
and  an  inscription  in  his  own  writing  setting  forth  that 
it  was  given  by  himself  to  me." 

"A  Catullus?" 

"Exactly!  a  Catullus." 

"  Then  I'll  have  to  trouble  you  to  return  it  to  me  at 
your  earliest  convenience.  The  book  is  my  property :  I 
paid  eighteen-pence  for  it  about  eleven  o'clock  a.  m.  on 
the  3rd  of  July,  1833,  in  the  shop  of  John  Burns,  Fleet 
Street,  London.  My  brother  took  it  from  me  a  week 
later,  and  I  have  not  been  able  to  afford  myself  another 
copy  since." 

"  You  admit  then  that  the  book  is  evidence  of  my 
father's  identity  ?  " 


62  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  I  admit  nothing.  What  do  you  want  with  me  ? 
What  do  you  come  here  for  ?  You  must  see  for  your 
self  that  I  am  too  poor  to  be  of  any  service  to  you,  and  I 
have  long  since  lost  any  public  interest  I  may  once  have 
possessed." 

"  I  want  neither  one  nor  the  other.  I  am  an  Aus 
tralian,  and  I  have  a  sufficient  competence  to  render  me 
independent  of  anyone." 

"  Ah  !  That  puts  a  different  complexion  on  the  mat 
ter.  You  say  you  hail  from  Australia  ?  And  what  may 
you  have  been  doing  there  ?  " 

"  Gold-mining — pearling — beche-de-mering  !  " 

He  came  a  step  closer,  and  as  he  did  so  I  noticed  that 
his  face  had  assumed  a  look  of  indescribable  cunning 
that  was  evidently  intended  to  be  of  an  ingratiating  na 
ture.  He  spoke  in  little  jerks,  pressing  his  fingers  to 
gether  between  each  sentence. 

"  Gold-mining  !  Ah  !  And  pearling  !  Well,  well ! 
And  I  suppose  you  have  been  fortunate  in  your  adven 
tures?" 

"  Very  ! "  I  replied,  having  by  this  time  determined 
on  my  line  of  action.  "  I  daresay  my  cheque  for  ten 
thousand  pounds  would  not  be  dishonoured  by  the  Bank 
of  England." 

"  Ten  thousand  pounds  !  Ten  thousand  pounds ! 
Dear  me,  dear  me  ! " 

He  shuffled  up  and  down  the  dingy  room,  all  the  time 
looking  at  me  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eyes,  as  if  to  make 
sure  that  I  was  telling  him  the  truth. 

"  Come,  come,  uncle,"  I  said,  resolving  to  bring  him 
to  his  bearings  without  further  waste  of  time.  "  This  is 
not  a  very  genial  welcome  to  the  son  of  a  long  lost 
brother ! " 

"  Well,  well,  you  mustn't  expect  too  much,  my  boy  ! 


THE  HOME  OF   MY  ANCESTORS.  63 

You  see  for  yourself  the  position  I'm  in.  The  old  place 
shut  up,  going  to  rack  and  ruin.  Poverty  staring  me  in 
the  face ;  cheated  by  everybody.  Eobbed  right  and 
left,  not  knowing  which  way  to  turn.  But  I'll  not  be 
put  upon.  They  may  call  me  what  they  please,  but  they 
can't  get  blood  out  of  a  stone.  Can  they  ?  Answer  me 
that  now ! " 

I  began  to  see  it  all  as  plain  as  a  pikestaff.  I  mean, 
of  course,  the  reason  of  the  deserted  and  neglected 
house,  and  his  extraordinary  behaviour.  I  rose  to  my 
feet. 

"  Well,  uncle — for  my  uncle  you  certainly  are,  what 
ever  you  may  say  to  the  contrary — I  must  be  going. 
I'm  sorry  to  find  you  like  this,  and  from  what  you  tell 
me  I  couldn't  think  of  worrying  you  with  my  society ! 
I  want  to  see  the  old  church  and  have  a  talk  with  the 
parson,  and  then  I  shall  go  off  never  to  trouble  you 
again." 

He  immediately  became  almost  fulsome  in  his  effort 
to  detain  me. 

"  No,  no  !  You  mustn't  go  like  that.  It's  not  hos 
pitable.  Besides,  you  mustn't  talk  with  parson.  He's 
a  bad  lot  is  parson — a  hard  man  with  a  cruel  tongue. 
Says  terrible  things  about  me  does  parson.  But  I'll  be 
even  with  him  yet.  Don't  speak  to  him,  laddie,  for  the 
honour  of  the  family.  Now  ye'll  stay  and  take  lunch 
with  me — potluck,  of  course — I'm  too  poor  to  give  ye 
much  of  a  meal ;  and  in  the  meantime  I'll  show  ye  the 
house  and  estate." 

This  was  just  what  I  wanted,  though  I  did  not  look 
forward  with  very  much  pleasure  to  the  prospect  of 
lunch  in  his  company. 

With  trembling  hands  he  took  down  an  old-fashioned 
hat  from  a  peg  and  turned  towards  the  door.  When  we 


64  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

had  passed  through  it  he  carefully  locked  it  and  dropped 
the  key  into  his  breeches  pocket.  Then  he  led  the  way 
upstairs  by  the  beautiful  oak  stair  case  I  had  so  much  ad 
mired  on  entering  the  house. 

When  we  reached  the  first  landing,  which  was  of 
noble  proportions  and  must  have  contained  upon  its 
walls  nearly  a  hundred  family  portraits  all  coated  with 
the  dust  of  years,  he  approached  a  door  and  threw  it 
open.  A  feeble  light  straggled  in  through  the  closed 
shutters,  and  revealed  an  almost  empty  room.  In  the 
centre  stood  a  large  canopied  bed,  of  antique  design. 
The  walls  were  wainscoted,  and  the  massive  chimney- 

3e  was  carved  with  heraldic  designs.  I  enquired 
[at  room  this  might  be. 

"  This  is  where  all  our  family  were  born,"  he  an 
swered.  "  'Twas  here  your  father  first  saw  the  light  of 
day." 

I  looked  at  it  with  a  new  interest.  It  seemed  hard 
to  believe  that  this  was  the  birthplace  of  my  own  father, 
the  man  whom  I  remembered  so  well  in  a  place  and  life 
so  widely  different.  My  companion  noticed  the  look 
upon  my  face,  and,  I  suppose,  felt  constrained  to  say 
something. 

"  Ah  !  James  !  "  he  said  sorrowfully.  "  Ye  were 
always  a  giddy,  roving  lad.  I  remember  ye  well."  (He 
passed  his  hand  across  his  eyes,  to  brush  away  a  tear,  I 
thought,  but  his  next  speech  disabused  me  of  any  such 
notion.)  "  I  remember  that  but  a  day  or  two  before  ye 
went  ye  blooded  my  nose  in  the  orchard,  and  the  very 
morning  ye  decamped  ye  borrowed  half-a-crown  of  me, 
and  never  paid  it  back." 

A  suddea  instinct  prompted  me  to  put  my  hand  in 
my  pocket.  I  took  out  half-a-crown,  and  handed  it  to 
him  without  a  word.  He  took  it,  looked  at  it  longingly, 


THE  HOME  OF  MY  ANCESTORS.  65 

put  it  in  his  pocket,  took  it  out  again,  ruminated  a  mo 
ment,  and  then  reluctantly  handed  it  back  to  me. 

"  Nay,  nay !  my  laddie,  keep  your  money,  keep  your 
money.  Ye  can  send  me  the  Catullus."  Then  to  him 
self,  unconscious  that  he  was  speaking  his  thoughts 
aloud.  "  It  was  a  good  edition,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
would  bring  five  shillings  any  day." 

From  one  room  we  passed  into  another,  and  yet  an 
other.  They  were  all  alike — shut  up,  dust-ridden,  and 
forsaken.  And  yet  with  it  all  what  a  noble  place  it  was 
— one  which  any  man  might  be  proud  to  call  his  own. 
And  to  think  that  it  was  all  going  to  rack  and  ruin  be 
cause  of  the  miserly  nature  of  its  owner.  In  the  course 
of  our  ramble  I  discovered  that  he  kept  but  two  servants, 
the  old  man  who  had  admitted  me  to  his  presence  and 
his  wife,  who,  as  that  peculiar  phrase  has  it,  cooked  and 
did  for  him.  I  discovered  later  that  he  had  not  paid 
either  of  them  wages  for  some  years  past,  and  that  they 
only  stayed  on  with  him  because  they  were  too  poor  and 
proud  to  seek  shelter  elsewhere. 

When  we  had  inspected  the  house  we  left  it  by  a  side 
door  and  crossed  a  courtyard  to  the  stables.  There  the 
desolation  was,  perhaps,  even  more  marked  than  before. 
The  great  clock  on  the  tower  above  the  main  building 
had  stopped  at  a  quarter  to  ten  on  some  long-forgotten 
day,  and  a  spider  now  ran  his  web  from  hand  to  hand. 

At  our  feet,  between  the  stones,  grass  grew  luxuri 
antly,  thick  moss  covered  the  coping  of  the  well,  the 
doors  were  almost  off  their  hinges,  and  rats  scuttled 
through  the  empty  loose  boxes  at  our  approach.  So 
large  was  the  place,  that  thirty  horses  might  have  found 
a  lodging  comfortably,  and  as  far  as  I  could  gather,  there 
was  room  for  half  as  many  vehicles  in  the  coach-houses 
that  bordered  either  side.  The  intense  quiet  was  only 


66  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

broken  by  the  cawing  of  the  rooks  in  the  giant  elms 
overhead,  the  squeaking  of  the  rats,  and  the  low  grum 
bling  of  my  uncle's  voice  as  he  pointed  out  the  ruin  that 
was  creeping  over  everything. 

Before  we  had  finished  our  inspection  it  was  lunch 
time,  and  we  returned  to  the  house.  The  meal  was 
served  in  the  same  room  in  which  I  had  made  my  rela 
tive's  acquaintance  an  hour  before.  It  consisted,  I  dis 
covered,  of  two  meagre  mutton  chops  and  some  home 
made  bread  and  cheese,  plain  and  substantial  fare  enough 
in  its  way,  but  hardly  the  sort  one  would  expect  from 
the  owner  of  such  a  house.  For  a  beverage  water  was 
placed  before  us,  but  I  could  see  that  my  host  was  de 
liberating  as  to  whether  he  should  stretch  his  generosity 
a  point  or  two  further. 

Presently  he  rose,  and  with  a  muttered  apology  left 
the  room,  to  return  five  minutes  later  carrying  a  small 
bottle  carefully  in  his  hand.  This,  with  much  delibera 
tion  and  no  small  amount  of  sighing,  he  opened.  It 
proved  to  be  claret,  and  he  poured  out  a  glassful  for  me. 
As  I  was  not  prepared  for  such  liberality,  I  thought 
something  must  be  behind  it,  and  in  this  I  was  not  mis 
taken. 

"Nephew,"  said  he,  "was  it  ten  thousand  pounds 
you  mentioned  as  the  amount  of  your  fortune  ?  " 

I  nodded.  He  looked  at  me  shyly  and  cleared  his 
throat  to  gain  time  for  reflection.  Then  seeing  that  I 
had  emptied  my  glass,  he  refilled  it  with  another  scarce 
concealed  sigh,  and  leant  back  in  his  chair. 

"  And  I  understand  you  to  say  you  are  quite  alone 
in  the  world,  my  boy  ?  " 

"  Quite  !  Until  I  met  you  this  morning  I  was  un 
aware  that  I  had  a  single  relative  on  earth.  Have  I  any 
more  connections  ?  " 


THE  HOME  OF  MY  ANCESTORS.  67 

"  Not  a  soul — only  Gwendoline." 

"  Gwendoline  ! "  I  cried,  "  and  wlio  may  Gwendo 
line  be?" 

"  My  daughter — your  cousin.  My  only  child ! 
Would  you  like  to  see  her?  " 

"  I  had  no  idea  you  had  a  daughter.  Of  course  I 
should  like  to  see  her !  " 

He  left  the  table  and  rang  the  bell.  The  ancient 
man-servant  answered  the  summons. 

"  Tell  your  wife  to  bring  Miss  Gwendoline  to  us." 

"  Miss  Gwendoline  here,  sir  ?  You  do  not  mean  it 
sure-lie,  sir  ?  " 

"  Numbskull !  Numbskull !  Numbskull ! "  cried  the 
old  fellow  in  an  ecstasy  of  fury  that  seemed  to  spring 
up  as  suddenly  as  a  squall  between  the  islands,  "  bring 
her  without  another  word  or  I'll  be  the  death  of  you." 

Without  further  remonstrance  the  old  man  left  the 
room,  and  I  demanded  an  explanation. 

"  Good  servant,  but  an  impudent  rascal,  sir !  Of 
course  you  must  see  my  daughter,  my  beautiful  daughter 
Gwendoline.  He's  afraid  you'll  frighten  her,  I  sup 
pose  !  Ha  !  ha  !  Frighten  my  bashful  pretty  one. 
Ha!  ha!" 

Anything  so  supremely  devilish  as  the  dried-up 
mirth  of  this  old  fellow  it  would  be  impossible  to  im 
agine.  His  very  laugh  seemed  as  if  it  had  to  crack  in 
his  throat  before  it  could  pass  his  lips.  What  could  his 
daughter  be  like,  living  in  such  a  house,  with  such  com 
panions  ?  While  I  was  wondering  I  heard  footsteps  in 
the  corridor,  and  then  an  old  woman  entered  and  curt 
seyed  respectfully.  My  host  rose  and  went  over  to  the 
fireplace,  where  he  stood  with  his  hands  behind  his  back 
and  the  same  devilish  grin  upon  his  face. 

"  Well,  where  is  my  daughter?  " 


68  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE, 

"  Sir,  do  you  really  mean  it  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  I  mean  it.     Where  is  she  ?  " 

In  answer  the  old  lady  went  to  the  door  and  called 
to  someone  in  the  hall. 

"  Come  in,  dearie.  It's  all  right.  Come  in,  do'ee 
now,  that's  a  little  dear." 

But  the  girl  made  no  sign  of  entering,  and  at  last 
the  old  woman  had  to  go  out  and  draw  her  in.  And 
then — but  I  hardly  know  how  to  write  it.  How  shall  I 
give  a  proper  description  of  the — thing  that  entered. 

She — if  she  it  could  be  called — was  about  three  feet 
high,  dressed  in  a  shapeless  print  costume.  Her  hair 
stood  and  hung  in  a  tangled  mass  on  her  head,  her  eyes 
were  too  large  for  her  face,  and  a  great  patch  of  beard 
grew  on  one  cheek,  descending  almost  to  a  level  with 
her  chin.  Her  features  were  all  awry,  and  now  and 
again  she  uttered  little  moans  that  were  more  like  those 
of  a  wild  beast  than  of  a  human  being.  In  spite  of  the 
old  woman's  endeavours  to  make  her  do  so,  she  would 
not  venture  from  her  side,  but  stood  slobbering  and 
moaning  in  the  half  dark  of  the  doorway. 

It  was  a  ghastly  sight,  and  one  that  nearly  turned  nic 
sick  with  loathing.  But  the  worst  part  of  it  all  was  the 
inhuman  merriment  of  her  father. 

"  There,  there  !  "  he  cried  ;  "  had  ever  man  such  a 
lovely  daughter  ?  Isn't  she  a  beauty  ?  Isn't  she  fit  to 
be  a  prince's  bride  ?  Isn't  she  fit  to  be  the  heiress  of  all 
this  place  ?  Won't  the  young  dukes  be  asking  her  hand 
in  marriage?  Oh,  you  beauty  !  You — but  there,  take 
her  away — take  her  away,  I  say,  before  I  do  her  a  mis 
chief." 

The  words  had  no  sooner  left  his  mouth  than  the 
old  woman  seized  her  charge  and  bundled  her  out  of 
the  room,  moaning  as  before.  I  can  tell  you  there  was 


THE'  HOME   OP  MY  ANCESTORS.  69 

at  least  one  person  in  that  apartment  who  was  heartily 
glad  to  be  rid  of  her. 

When  the  door  had  closed  upon  them  my  host  came 
back  to  his  seat,  and  with  another  sigh  refilled  my 
glass.  I  wondered  what  was  coming  now.  It  was  not 
long,  however,  before  I  found  out. 

"  Now  you  know  everything !  You  have  seen  my 
home,  you  have  seen  my  poverty,  and  you  have  seen  my 
daughter.  What  do  you  think  of  it  all  ?  " 

*'  I  don't  know  what  to  think  ! " 

"  Well,  then  I'll  tell  you.  That  child  wants  doctors ; 
that  child  wants  proper  attendance.  She  can  get 
neither  here.  I  am  too  poor  to  help  her  in  any  way. 
You're  rich  by  your  own  telling.  I  have  to-day  taken 
you  into  the  bosom  of  my  family,  recognised  you  with 
out  doubting  your  assertions.  Will  you  help  me  ?  Will 
you  give  one  thousand  pounds  towards  settling  that 
child  in  life?  With  two  thousand  it  could  be  man 
aged?" 

"  Will  I  what  ?  "  I  cried  in  utter  amazement — dumb 
founded  by  his  impudence. 

"  Will  you  settle  one  thousand  pounds  upon  her,  to 
keep  her  out  of  her  grave  ?  " 

"  Not  one  penny  ! "  I  cried ;  "  you  miserable,  miserly 
old  wretch.  And,  what's  more,  I'll  give  you  a  bit  of  my 
mind." 

And  thereupon  I  did !  Siich  a  talking  to  as  he'd 
never  had  in  his  life  before,  and  one  he'd  not  be  likely 
to  forget  in  a  hurry.  He  sat  all  the  time,  white  with 
fury,  his  eyes  blazing,  and  his  fingers  quivering  with 
impotent  rage.  When  I  had  done  he  ordered  me  out 
of  his  house.  I  took  him  at  his  word,  seized  my  hat, 
and  strode  across  the  hall  through  the  front  door,  and 
out  into  the  open  air. 


70  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

But  I  was  not  to  leave  the  home  of  my  ancestors 
without  a  parting  shot.  As  I  closed  the  front  door  be 
hind  me  I  heard  a  window  go  up,  and  on  looking  round 
there  was  the  old  fellow  shaking  his  fist, at  me  from  the 
second  floor. 

"  Leave  my  house — leave  my  park,  or  I'll  send  for 
the  constable  to  turn  you  off.  Bah !  You  came  to 
steal.  You're  no  nephew  of  mine ;  I  disown  you. 
You're  a  common  cheat — a  swindler — an  impostor  ! 
Go!" 

I  went.  And,  leaving  the  park,  walked  straight 
across  to  the  rectory  and  enquired  if  I  might  see  the 
clergyman.  To  him  I  told  my  tale,  and,  among  other 
things,  asked  if  anything  could  be  done  for  the  child — 
my  cousin.  He  only  shook  his  head. 

"  I  fear  it  is  hopeless,  Mr.  Hatteras.  The  old  gentle 
man  is  a  terrible  character,  and  as  he  owns  half  the  vil 
lage,  and  every  acre  of  the  land  hereabouts,  we  all  live  in 
fear  and  trembling  of  him.  We  have  no  shadow  of  a 
claim  upon  the  child,  and  unless  we  can  prove  that  he 
actually  illtreats  it,  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  think  there  is 
nothing  to  be  done." 

So  ended  my  first  meeting  with  my  father's  family. 

From  the  rectory  I  returned  to  my  inn.  What 
should  I  do  ?  London  was  a  desert  to  me  now  that  my 
sweetheart  was  gone,  and  every  other  place  seemed  as 
bad.  Then  an  advertisement  on  the  wall  of  the  bar  par 
lour  caught  my  eye : 

"  FOR  SALE  OR  HIRE, 

THE  YACHT,  "ENCHANTRESS." 

Ten  Tons. 
Apply,  SCREW  &  MATCHEM,  Bournemouth." 


THE  HOME   OP  MY  ANCESTORS.  71 

It  was  just  the  very  thing.  I  was  pining  for  a 
breath  of  sea  air  again.  It  was  perfect  weather  for  a 
cruise.  I  would  go  to  Bournemouth  and  inspect  the 
yacht  at  once,  and,  if  she  suited  me,  take  her  for  a 
month  or  so.  My  mind  made  up,  I  routed  out  my  Jehu, 
and  set  off  for  the  train,  never  dreaming  that  by  so 
doing  I  was  taking  the  second  step  in  that  important 
chain  of  events  that  was  to  affect  all  the  future  of  my 
life. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

I   SAVE   AN    IMPOETANT  LIFE. 

To  a  man  whose  life  has  been  spent  in  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth,  amid  barbaric  surroundings,  and  in 
furtherance  of  work  of  a  kind  that  the  civilised  world 
usually  denominates  dangerous,  the  seaside  life  of  Eng 
land  must  afford  scope  for  wonderment  and  no  small 
amount  of  thoughtful  consideration.  And  certainly  if 
there  is  one  place  more  than  another  where,  winter  and 
summer  alike,  amid  every  sort  of  luxury,  the  modern 
Englishman  may  be  seen  relaxing  his  cares  and  increas 
ing  his  energies,  the  name  of  that  place  is  Bournemouth. 
Built  up  amid  pine- woods — its  beauties  added  to  in  every 
fashion  known  to  the  fertile  brain  of  man,  Bournemouth 
stands,  to  my  mind,  pre-eminent  in  the  list  of  British 
watering-places. 

Leaving  Lyndhurst  Road,  I  travelled  to  this  excellent 
place  by  a  fast  train,  and  immediately  on  arrival  made 
my  way  to  the  office  of  Messrs.  Screw  &  Matchem  with 
a  view  to  instituting  enquiries  regarding  the  yacht  they 
had  advertised  for  hire.  It  was  with  the  senior  partner 
I  transacted  my  business,  and  a  shrewd  but  pleasant 
gentleman  I  found  him. 

Upon  making  known  my  business  to  him,  he  brought 
me  a  photograph  of  the  craft  in  question,  and  certainly 
a  nice  handy  boat  she  looked.  She  had  been  built,  he 

72 


I  SAVE  AN  IMPORTANT  LIFE.  73 

went  on  to  inform  me,  for  a  young  nobleman,  who  had 
made  two  very  considerable  excursions  in  her  before  he 
had  been  compelled  to  fly  the  country,  and  was  only 
three  years  old.  I  learned  also  that  she  was  lying  in 
Poole  harbour,  but  he  was  good  enough  to  say  that  if  I 
wished  to  see  her  she  would  be  brought  round  to  Bourne 
mouth  the  following  morning,  when  I  could  inspect  her 
at  my  leisure.  As  this  arrangement  was  one  that  exactly 
suited  me,  I  closed  with  it  there  and  then,  and  thanking 
Mr.  Matchem  for  his  courtesy,  betook  myself  to  my 
hotel.  Having  dined,  I  spent  the  evening  upon  the  pier 
— the  first  of  its  kind  I  had  ever  seen — listened  to  the 
band,  and,  if  the  truth  must  be  told,  diverted  myself 
with  thoughts  of  her  to  whom  I  had  plighted  my  troth 
and  whose  unexpected  departure  from  England  had 
been  such  a  sudden  and  bitter  disappointment  to  me. 

Next  morning,  faithful  to  promise,  the  Enchantress 
sailed  into  the  bay  and  came  to  an  anchor  within  a 
biscuit  throw  of  the  pier.  Chartering  a  dinghy,  I  pulled 
myself  off  to  her  and  stepped  aboard.  An  old  man 
and  a  boy  were  engaged  washing  down  decks,  and  to 
them  I  introduced  myself  and  business.  Then  for  half 
an  hour  I  devoted  myself  to  overhauling  her  thoroughly. 
She  was  a  nice  enough  little  craft,  well  set  up,  and  from 
her  run  looked  as  if  she  might  possess  a  fair  turn  of 
speed  ;  the  gear  was  in  excellent  order,  and  the  old  man 
in  charge  told  me  she  had  been  repaired  and  thoroughly 
overhauled  that  selfsame  year. 

Having  satisfied  myself  on  a  few  other  minor  points, 
I  pulled  ashore  and  again  went  through  the  gardens  to 
the  agents'  office.  Mr.  Matchem  was  delighted  to  hear 
that  I  liked  the  yacht  well  enough  to  think  of  hiring  her 
at  their  own  price  (a  rather  excessive  one,  I  must  admit) 
for  three  months,  and,  I  don't  doubt,  would  have  sup- 


74  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

plied  me  with  a  villa  in  Bournemouth  and  a  yachting 
box  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  also  on  their  own  terms,  had 
I  felt  inclined  to  furnish  them  with  the  command. 
But  fortunately  I  was  able  to  withstand  their  tempta 
tions,  and  having  given  them  my  cheque  for  the  requi 
site  amount,  went  off  to  make  arrangements  and  to  en 
gage  a  crew. 

Before  nightfall  I  had  secured  the  services  of  a 
handy  lad  in  place  of  the  old  man  who  had  brought 
her  round  from  Poole,  and  was  in  a  position  to  put  to 
sea.  Accordingly  next  morning  off  I  set  for  a  trip 
round  the  Isle  of  Wight.  Before  we  had  brought  the 
Needles  abeam  I  had  convinced  myself  that  the  boat 
was  an  excellent  sailer,  and  when  the  first  day's  voyage 
was  over  I  had  found  no  reason  to  repent  my  bargain. 

And  I  would  ask  you  here,  is  there  any  other  amuse 
ment  to  compare  with  yachting?  Can  anything  else 
vie  with  it?  Suppose  a  man  to  be  a  lover  of  human 
craftmanship — then  what  could  be  more  to  his  taste 
than  a  well-built  yacht?  Is  a  man  a  lover  of  speed? 
Then  what  could  he  wish  for  better  than  the  rush  over 
the  curling  seas,  the  graceful  fabric  quivering  under  him 
like  an  eager  horse,  the  snowy  line  of  foam  driving 
away  from  either  bow,  and  the  fresh  breeze  singing  mer 
rily  through  the  shrouds  overhead,  bellying  out  the 
stretch  of  canvas  till  it  seems  as  if  the  spars  must  cer 
tainly  give  way  beneath  the  strain  they  are  called  upon 
to  endure ! 

Is  a  man  a  lover  of  the  beautiful  in  nature  ?  Then 
from  what  better  place  can  he  observe  earth's  beauties 
than  a  yacht's  deck  ?  From  there  he  views  the  stretch 
of  country  ashore,  the  dancing  waves,  the  blue  sky  flaked 
with  fleecy  clouds  above  his  head,  while  the  warm  sun 
shine  penetrates  him  through  and  through  till  it  finds 


I  SAVE   AN  IMPORTANT  LIFE.  75 

his  very  heart  and  stays  there,  making  a  better  and  cer 
tainly  a  healthier  man  of  him. 

Does  the  world  ever  look  so  fair  as  at  daybreak, 
when  Dame  Nature  is  still  half  asleep,  and  the  water  lies 
like  a  sheet  of  shimmering  glass  around  him,  and  the 
great  sun  comes  up  like  a  ball  of  gold  out  of  the  un 
known  east  with  a  solemnity  that  makes  one  feel  almost 
afraid?  Or  at  night,  anchored  in  some  tiny  harbour 
when  the  lights  are  twinkling  ashore,  and  the  sound  of 
music  comes  wafted  across  the  water,  with  a  faintness 
that  only  adds  to  its  beauty,  to  harmonise  with  the  tink 
ling  of  the  waves  alongside.  Keview  these  things  in 
your  mind  and  then  tell  me  what  recreation  can  com 
pare  with  yachting  ? 

Not  having  anything  to  hurry  me,  and  only  my  own 
thoughts  to  keep  me  company,  I  took  my  time ;  re 
mained  two  days  in  the  Solent,  sailed  round  the  island, 
put  in  a  day  at  Ventnor,  and  so  back  to  Bournemouth. 
Then,  after  a  day  ashore,  I  picked  up  a  nice  breeze  and 
ran  down  to  Torquay  to  spend  another  week  sailing 
slowly  back  along  the  coast,  touching  at  various  ports, 
and  returning  eventually  to  the  place  I  had  first  hailed 
from. 

In  relating  these  trifling  incidents  it  is  not  my  wish 
to  bore  my  readers,  but  to  work  up  gradually  to  that 
strange  meeting  to  which  they  were  the  prelude.  Now 
that  I  can  look  back  in  cold  blood  upon  the  circum 
stances  that  brought  it  about  and  reflect  how  narrowly 
I  escaped  missing  the  one  event  which  was  destined  to 
change  my  whole  life,  I  can  hardly  realise  that  I  at 
tached  such  small  importance  to  it  at  the  time.  Some 
how  I  have  always  been  a  firm  believer  in  Fate,  and  in 
deed  it  would  be  strange,  all  the  things  I  am  about  to 
tell  you  considered,  if  I  were  not.  For  when  a  man  has 
6 


Y6  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

passed  through  so  many  extraordinary  adventures  and 
not  only  come  out  of  them  unharmed,  but  a  happier 
and  a  great  deal  more  fortunate  man  than  he  has 
really  any  right  to  be,  he  may  claim  the  privilege,  I 
think,  of  saying  he  knows  something  about  his  sub 
ject. 

And,  mind  you,  I  date  it  all  back  to  that  visit  to  the 
old  home  and  to  my  uncle's  strange  reception  of  me, 
for  had  I  not  gone  down  into  the  country  I  should  never 
have  quarrelled  with  him,  and  if  I  had  not  quarrelled 
with  him  I  should  not  have  gone  back  to  the  inn  in  such 
a  dudgeon,  and  in  that  case  I  should  probably  have  left 
the  place  without  a  visit  to  the  bar,  never  have  seen  the 
advertisement,  visited  Bournemouth,  hired  the  yacht  or 
— but  there  I  must  stop.  You  must  work  out  the  rest 
when  you  have  heard  my  story. 

The  morning  after  my  third  return  to  Bournemouth 
I  was  up  by  daybreak,  had  had  my  breakfast,  and  was 
ready  to  set  off  on  a  cruise  across  the  bay,  before  the  sun 
was  a  hand's  breadth  above  the  horizon.  It  was  as  per 
fect  a  morning  as  any  man  could  wish  to  see.  A  faint 
breeze  just  blurred  the  surface  of  the  water,  tiny  waves 
danced  in  the  sunshine,  and  my  bark  nodded  to  them  as 
if  anxious  to  be  off.  The  town  ashore  lay  very  quiet 
and  peaceful,  and  so  still  was  the  air  that  the  cries  of  a 
few  white  gulls  could  be  heard  quite  plainly,  half  a 
mile  or  so  away.  Having  hove  anchor,  we  tacked 
slowly  across  the  bay,  passed  the  pier-head,  and  steered 
towards  Old  Harry  Eock  and  Swanage  Bay.  My  crew 
was  for'ard,  and  I  had  possession  of  the  tiller. 

As  we  went  about  opposite  Canford  Cliffs,  something 
moving  in  the  water  ahead  of  me  attracted  my  attention. 
We  were  too  far  off  to  make  out  exactly  what  it  might 
be,  and  it  was  not  until  five  minutes  later,  when  we  were 


I  SAVE  AN  IMPORTANT  LIFE.  77 

close  abreast  of  it,  that  I  discovered  it  to  be  a  bather. 
The  foolish  fellow  had  evidently  ventured  further  out 
than  was  prudent,  had  struck  a  strong  current,  and  was 
now  being  washed  swiftly  out  to  sea.  But  for  the  splash 
ing  he  made  to  show  his  whereabouts,  I  should  in  all 
probability  not  have  seen  him,  and  in  that  case  his  fate 
would  have  been  sealed.  As  it  was,  when  we  came  up 
to  him  he  was  quite  exhausted. 

Heaving  my  craft  to,  I  leapt  into  the  dinghy,  and 
pulled  towards  him,  but  before  I  could  reach  the  spot 
he  had  sunk.  At  first  I  thought  he  was  gone  for  good 
and  all,  but  in  a  few  seconds  he  rose  again.  Then, 
grabbing  him  by  the  hair,  I  passed  an  arm  under  his, 
and  dragged  him  unconscious  into  the  boat.  In  less 
than  three  minutes  we  were  alongside  the  yacht  again, 
and  with  my  man's  assistance  I  had  got  him  aboard. 
Fortunately  a  day  or  two  before  I  had  had  the  fore 
thought  to  purchase  some  brandy  for  use  in  case  of 
need,  and  my  Thursday  Island  experiences  having 
taught  me  exactly  what  was  best  to  be  done  under  such 
circumstances,  it  was  not  long  before  I  had  brought 
him  back  to  consciousness. 

In  appearance  he  was  a  handsome  young  fellow,  well 
set  up,  and  possibly  nineteen  or  twenty  years  of  age. 
When  I  had  given  him  a  stiff  nobbier  of  brandy  to  stop 
the  chattering  of  his  teeth,  I  asked  him  how  he  came 
to  be  so  far  from  shore. 

"  I  am  considered  a  very  good  swimmer,"  he  replied, 
"  and  often  come  out  as  far  as  this,  but  to-day  I  think 
I  must  have  got  into  a  strong  outward  current,  and 
certainly  but  for  your  providential  assistance  I  should 
never  have  reached  home  alive." 

"  You  had  a  very  narrow  escape,"  I  answered,  "  but 
thank  goodness  you're  none  the  worse  for  it.  Now, 


78  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

what's  the  best  thing  to  be  done?  Turn  back,  I  sup 
pose,  and  set  you  ashore." 

"  But  what  a  lot  of  trouble  I'm  putting  you  to." 

"  Nonsense  !  I've  nothing  to  do,  and  I  count  my 
self  very  fortunate  in  having  been  able  to  render  you 
this  small  assistance.  The  breeze  is  freshening,  and  it 
won't  take  us  any  time  to  get  back.  Where  do  you 
live?" 

"  To  the  left  there !  That  house  standing  back 
upon  the  cliff.  Eeally  I  don't  know  how  to  express  my 
gratitude." 

"  Just  keep  that  till  I  ask  you  for  it.  Now,  as  we've 
got  a  twenty  minutes'  sail  before  us,  the  best  thing  for 
you  to  do  would  be  to  slip  into  a  spare  suit  of  my  things. 
They'll  keep  you  warm,  and  you  can  return  them  to  my 
hotel  when  you  get  ashore." 

I  sang  out  to  my  crew  to  come  aft  and  take  the  til 
ler,  while  I  escorted  him  below  into  the  little  box  of  a 
cabin,  and  gave  him  a  rig  out.  Considering  I  am  six 
feet  two,  and  he  only  five  feet  eight,  the  things  were  a 
trifle  large  for  him ;  but  when  he  was  dressed  I  couldn't 
help  thinking  what  a  handsome,  well-built,  aristocratic- 
looking  young  fellow  he  appeared.  The  work  of  fit 
ting  him  out  accomplished,  we  returned  to  the  deck. 
The  breeze  was  freshening  and  the  little  hooker  was 
ploughing  her  way  through  it,  nose  down,  as  if  she 
knew  that  under  the  circumstances  her  best  was  ex 
pected  of  her. 

"  Are  you  a  stranger  in  Bournemouth  ? "  my  com 
panion  asked  as  I  took  the  tiller  again. 

"  Almost,"  I  answered.  "  I've  only  been  in  England 
three  weeks.  I'm  home  from  Australia." 

"  Australia !  Really  !  Oh,  I  should  so  like  to  go  out 
there." 


I  SAVE  AN  IMPORTANT  LIFE.  Y9 

V 

His  voice  was  very  soft  and  low,  more  like  a  girl's 
than  a  boy's,  and  I  noticed  that  he  had  none  of  the 
mannerisms  of  a  man — at  least,  not  of  one  who  has  seen 
much  of  the  world. 

"  Yes,  Australia's  as  good  a  place  as  any  other  for  the 
man  who  goes  out  there  to  work,"  I  said.  "  But  some 
how  you  don't  look  to  me  like  a  chap  that  is  used  to 
what  is  called  roughing  it.  Pardon  my  rudeness." 

"  Well,  you  see,  I've  never  had  much  chance.  My 
father  is  considered  by  many  to  be  a  very  peculiar 
man.  He  has  strange  ideas  about  me,  and  so  you  see 
I've  never  been  allowed  to  mix  with  other  people.  But 
I'm  stronger  than  you'd  think,  and  I  shall  be  twenty  in 
October  next." 

Somehow  I  thought  I  couldn't  be  very  far  out  in 
his  age. 

"  And  now  if  you  don't  mind  telling  me — what  is 
your  name?" 

"  I  suppose  there  can  be  no  harm  in  telling  you.  I 
was  told  if  ever  I  met  anyone  and  they  asked  me,  not  to 
tell  them.  But  since  you  saved  my  life  it  would  be 
ungrateful  not  to  let  you  know.  I  am  the  Marquis  of 
Beckenham." 

"  Is  that  so  !  Then  your  father  is  the  Duke  of  Glen- 
barth?" 

"  Yes.     Do  you  know  him  ?  " 

"  Never  set  eyes  on  him  in  my  life,  but  I  heard  him 
spoken  of  the  other  day." 

I  did  not  add  that  it  was  Mr.  Matchem  who,  during 
my  conversation  with  him,  had  referred  to  him,  nor  did 
I  think  it  well  to  say  that  he  had  designated  him  the 
"  Mad  Duke."  And  so  the  boy  I  had  saved  from  drown 
ing  was  the  young  Marquis  of  Beckenham.  Well,  I  was 
moving  in  good  society  with  a  vengeance.  This  boy  was 


80  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

the  first  nobleman  I  had  ever  clapped  eyes  on,  though  I 
knew  the  Count  de  Pannroff  well  enough  in  Thursday 
Island.  But  then  foreign  Counts  ought  not  to  reckon, 
perhaps. 

"  But  you  don't  mean  to  tell  me,"  I  said  at  length, 
"  that  you've  got  no  friends  ?  Don't  you  ever  see  anyone 
at  all?" 

"  No,  I  am  not  allowed  to.  My  father  thinks  it  bet 
ter  not.  And  as  he  does  not  wish  it,  of  course  I  have 
nothing  left  me  but  to  obey.  I  must  own,  however,  I 
should  like  to  see  the  world — to  go  a  long  voyage  to 
Australia,  for  instance." 

"  But  how  do  you  put  in  your  time  ?  You  must  have 
a  very  dull  life  of  it." 

"  Oh,  no !  You  see  I  have  never  known  anything 
else,  and  then  I  have  always  the  future  to  look  forward 
to.  When  I  am  twenty-one,  you  see,  I  shall  take  my 
seat  in  the  Lords,  and  be  my  own  master.  As  it  is  now 
I  bathe  every  morning.  I  have  my  yacht,  I  ride  about 
the  park,  I  have  my  studies,  and  I  have  a  tutor  who  tells 
me  wonderful  stories  of  the  world." 

"  Oh,  he's  been  about,  has  he  ?  " 

"  Dear,  yes !  He  was  a  missionary  in  the  South 
Sea  Islands,  and  has  seen  some  very  stirring  adven 
tures." 

"  A  missionary  in  the  South  Seas,  eh  ?  Perhaps  I 
know  him." 

"  Were  you  ever  in  those  seas  ?  " 

"  Just  a  bit,  I  reckon.  Why,  I've  spent  almost  all 
my  life  there." 

"  Were  you  a  missionary  ?  " 

"You  bet  not.  The  missionaries  and  my  friends 
don't  cotton  to  one  another,  and  you  can  put  your 
money  on  that !  " 


I  SAVE  AN  IMPORTANT  LIFE.  81 

"  But  they  are  such  good  men  !  " 

"That  may  be.  But  still,  as  I  say,  we  don't  some 
how  cotton.  All  the  same  I'd  like  to  set  my  eyes  upon 
your  tutor;" 

"  Well,  you  will.  I  think  I  see  him  on  the  beach 
now.  I  expect  he'll  be  wondering  what  has  become  of 
me.  I've  never  been  out  so  long  before." 

"  Well,  you're  close  home  now,  and  as  safe  as  eggs  in 
a  basket." 

Another  minute  brought  us  into  as  shallow  water  as 
I  cared  to  go.  Accordingly,  heaving  to,  I  brought  the 
dinghy  alongside  and  we  got  into  her.  Then  casting  off, 
I  pulled  my  lord  ashore.  A  small,  clean-shaven,  par- 
sonish-looking  man,  with  the  regulation  white  choker, 
stood  on  the  shore  waiting  for  us.  As  I  beached  the 
boat  he  came  forward  and  said  : 

"My  lord,  we  have  been  very  anxious  about  you. 
We  feared  you  had  met  with  an  accident." 

"  I  have  been  very  nearly  drowned,  Mr.  Baxter.  Had 
it  not  been  for  this  gentleman's  prompt  assistance  I 
should  never  have  reached  home  again." 

"  You  should  really  be  more  careful,  my  lord.  I 
have  warned  you  before.  Your  father  has  been  nearly 
beside  himself  with  anxiety." 

"Eh?"  said  I  to  myself.  "This  does  not  sound 
quite  right.  Anyhow,  Mr.  Baxter,  I've  seen  your  figure 
head  somewhere  before — but  you  were  not  a  missionary 
then,  I'll  take  my  affidavit." 

Turning  to  me,  my  young  lord  held  out  his  hand. 

"  You  have  never  told  me  your  name,"  he  said  almost 
reproachfully. 

"  Dick  Hatteras,"  I  answered,  "  and  very  much  at 
your  service." 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,  I  shall  never  forget  what  you  have 


82  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

done  for  me.  That  I  am  most  grateful  I  hope  you  will 
believe.  I  know  that  I  owe  you  my  life." 

Here  the  tutor's  voice  chipped  in  again,  as  I  thought, 
rather  impatiently. 

"  Come,  come,  my  lord.  This  delay  will  not  do. 
Your  father  will  be  growing  still  more  nervous  about 
you.  We  must  be  getting  home  !  " 

Then  they  went  off  up  the  cliff  path,  and  I  returned 
to  my  boat. 

"  Mr.  Baxter,"  I  said  to  myself  again  as  I  pulled  off 
to  the  yacht,  "  I  want  to  know  where  I've  seen  your  face 
before.  I've  taken  a  sudden  dislike  to  you.  I  don't 
trust  you  ;  and  if  your  employer's  the  man  they  say  he 
is,  well,  he  won't  either.  That's  all." 

Then,  having  brought  the  dinghy  alongside,  I  made 
the  painter  fast,  clambered  aboard,  apd  we  stood  out  of 
the  bay  once  more. 


CHAPTEE  V. 

MYSTERY. 

THE  following  morning  I  was  sitting  in  my  room  at 
the  hotel  idly  scanning  the  Standard  and  wondering  in 
what  way  I  should  employ  myself  until  the  time  arrived 
for  me  to  board  the  yacht,  when  I  heard  a  carriage  roll 
up  the  drive. 

On  looking  out  I  discovered  a  gorgeous  landau  drawn 
by  a  pair  of  fine  thoroughbreds  and  resplendent  with 
much  gilded  and  crested  harness,  standing  before  the 
steps.  A  footman  opened  the  door  and  I  was  at  the 
window  just  in  time  to  see  a  tall  soldierly  man  alight 
from  it.  To  my  astonishment,  two  minutes  later  a 
waiter  entered  my  room  and  announced  "  His  Grace  the 
Duke  of  Glenbarth."  It  was  the  owner  of  the  carriage 
and  the  father  of  my  young  friend,  if  by  such  a  title  I 
might  designate  the  Marquis  of  Beckenham. 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,  I  presume,"  said  he,  advancing 
towards  me  and  using  that  dignified  tone  that  only  an 
English  gentleman  can  assume  with  anything  approach 
ing  success. 

"  Yes !  That  is  my  name.  I  am  honoured  by  your 
visit.  "Won't  you  sit  down  ?  " 

"  Thank  you." 

He  paused  for  a  moment  and  then  continued  : 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,  I  have  to  offer  you  an  apology.     I 


84  A  BID  EOR  FORTUNE. 

should  have  called  upon  you  yesterday  to  express  the 
gratitude  I  feel  to  you  for  having  saved  the  life  of  my 
son,  but  I  was  unavoidably  prevented." 

"  I  beg  you  will  not  mention  it,"  I  said.  "  His  lord 
ship  thanked  me  sufficiently  himself.  And  after  all, 
when  you  look  at  it,  it  was  not  very  much  to  do.  I 
would,  however,  venture  one  little  suggestion.  Is  it 
not  dangerous  to  let  him  swim  .so  far  unaccompanied 
by  a  boat?  The  same  thing  might  happen  again 
and  no  one  be  near  enough  to  render  him  any  assist 
ance." 

"  He  will  not  do  so  again.  He  has  learned  a  lesson 
from  this  experience.  And  now,  Mr.  Hatteras,  I  trust 
you  will  forgive  what  I  am  about  to  say.  My  son  has 
told  me  that  you  have  just  arrived  in  England  from 
Australia.  Is  there  any  way  I  can  be  of  service  to  you  ? 
If  there  is,  and  you  will  acquaint  me  of  it,  you  will  be 
conferring  a  great  favour  upon  me." 

"  I  thank  your  Grace,"  I  replied — I  hope  with  some 
little  touch  of  dignity — "  It  is  indeed  kind  of  you,  but  I 
could  not  think  of  such  a  thing.  But,  stay,  there  is  one 
service  perhaps  you  could  do  for  me." 

"  I  am  delighted  to  hear  it,  sir.  And  pray  what  may 
it  be?" 

"  Your  son's  tutor,  Mr.  Baxter !  His  face  is  strangely 
familiar  to  me.  I  have  seen  him  somewhere  before,  but 
I  cannot  recall  where.  Could  you  tell  me  anything  of 
his  history?" 

"  Very  little,  I  fear,  save  that  he  seems  a  worthy  and 
painstaking  man,  an  excellent  scholar,  and  very  capable 
in  his  management  of  young  men.  I  received  excellent 
references  with  him,  but  of  his  past  history  I  know  very 
little.  I  believe,  however,  that  he  was  a  missionary  in 
the  South  Seas  for  some  time,  and  that  he  was  after- 


MYSTERY.  85 

wards  for  many  years  in  India.  I'm  sorry  I  cannot  tell 
you  more  since  you  are  interested  in  him." 

"  I've  met  him  somewhere,  I'm  certain.  His  face 
haunts  me.  But  to  return  to  your  son — I  hope  he  is 
none  the  worse  for  his  adventure  ?  " 

"Not  at  all,  thank  you.  Thanks  to  the  system  I 
have  adopted  in  his  education,  the  boy  is  seldom  ail- 

ing." 

"  Pardon  my  introducing  the  subject.  But  do  you 
think  it  is  quite  wise  to  keep  a  youth  so  ignorant  of  the 
world?  I  am  an  Australian  and  perhaps  rather  pre 
sumptuous,  but  I  cannot  help  feeling  that  such  a  fine 
young  fellow  would  be  all  the  better  for  a  few  com 
panions." 

"  You  hit  me  on  rather  a  tender  spot,  Mr.  Hatteras. 
But,  as  you  have  been  frank  with  me,  I  will  be  frank 
with  you.  I  am  one  of  those  strange  beings  who  govern 
their  lives  by  theories.  I  was  brought  up  by  my  father, 
I  must  tell  you,  in  a  fashion  totally  different  to  that  I 
am  employing  with  my  son.  I  feel  now  that  I  was  al 
lowed  a  dangerous  amount  of  license  in  my  youth.  And 
what  was  the  result  ?  I  mixed  with  everyone,  was  pam 
pered  and  flattered  far  beyond  what  was  good  for  me, 
derived  a  false  notion  of  my  own  importance,  and  when 
I  came  to  man's  estate  was,  to  all  intents  and  purposes, 
quite  unprepared  and  unfitted  to  undertake  the  duties 
and  responsibilities  of  my  position. 

"  Fortunately  I  had  the  wit  to  see  where  the  fault 
lay,  and  there  and  then  I  resolved  that  if  ever  I  were 
blessed  with  a  son,  I  would  conduct  his  education  on  far 
different  lines.  My  boy  has  not  met  a  dozen  strangers 
in  his  life.  His  education  has  been  my  tenderest  care. 
His  position,  his  duties  towards  his  fellow  men,  the  re 
sponsibilities  of  his  rank,  have  always  been  kept  rigor- 


86  A  BID  FOE  FORTUNE. 

ously  before  him.  He  has  been  brought  up  to  under 
stand  that  to  be  a  Duke  is  not  to  be  a  titled  nonentity 
or  a  pampered  roue,  but  to  be  one  whom  Providence  has 
blessed  with  an  opportunity  of  benefiting  and  watching 
over  the  welfare  of  those  less  fortunate  than  himself  in 
the  world's  good  gifts. 

"  He  has  no  exaggerated  idea  of  his  own  importance ; 
a  humbler  lad,  I  feel  justified  in  saying,  you  would  no 
where  find.  He  has  been  educated  thoroughly,  and  he 
has  all  the  best  traditions  of  his  race  kept  continually 
before  his  eyes.  But  you  must  not  imagine,  Mr.  Hat- 
teras,  that  because  he  has  not  mixed  with  the  world  he 
is  ignorant  of  its  temptations.  He  may  not  have  come 
into  personal  contact  with  them,  but  he  will  be  warned 
against  their  insidious  influences,  and  I  shall  trust  to 
his  personal  pride  and  good  instincts  to  help  him  to 
withstand  them  when  he  has  to  encounter  them  him 
self.  Now,  what  do  you  think  of  my  plan  for  making  a 
nobleman  ?  " 

"  A  very  good  one,  with  such  a  youth  as  your  son,  I 
should  think,  your  Grace ;  but  I  would  like  to  make  one 
more  suggestion,  if  you  would  allow  me  ?  " 

"And  that  is?" 

"  That  you  should  let  him  travel  before  he  settles 
down.  Choose  some  fit  person  to  accompany  him.  Let 
him  have  introductions  to  good  people  abroad,  then  he 
will  derive  different  impressions  from  different  countries, 
view  men  and  women  from  different  standpoints,  and 
enter  gradually  into  the  great  world  and  station  which 
he  is  some  day  to  adorn." 

"  I  had  thought  of  that  myself,  and  his  tutor  has 
lately  spoken  to  me  a  good  deal  on  the  subject.  I  must 
own  it  is  an  idea  that  commends  itself  strongly  to  me. 
I  will  think  it  over.  And  now,  sir,  I  must  wish  you 


MYSTERY.  87 

good-day.  You  will  not  let  me  thank  you,  as  I  should 
have  wished,  for  the  service  you  have  rendered  my 
house,  but  believe  me,  I  am  none  the  less  grateful.  By 
the  way,  your  name  is  not  a  common  one.  May  I  ask  if 
you  have  any  relatives  in  this  county  ?  " 

"  Only  one  at  present,  I  fancy — my  father's  brother, 
Sir  William  Hatteras,  of  Murdlestone,  in  the  New 
Forest." 

"  Ah !  I  never  met  him.  I  knew  his  brother  James 
very  well  in  my  younger  days.  But  he  got  into  sad 
trouble,  poor  fellow,  and  was  obliged  to  fly  the  coun 
try." 

"  You  are  speaking  of  my  father.  And  you  knew 
him?" 

"  Knew  him  ?  indeed,  I  did.  And  a  better  fellow 
never  stepped ;  but,  like  most  of  us  in  those  days,  too 
wild — much  too  wild  !  And  so  you  are  James's  son  ? 
Well,  well !  This  is  indeed  a  strange  coincidence.  But, 
if  that  is  so,  I  must  beg  your  pardon  for  speaking  so 
candidly  of  your  father." 

"  No  offence,  I'm  sure." 

"  And  pray  tell  me  where  my  old  friend  is  now  ?  " 

"  Dead,  your  Grace  !     He  was  drowned  at  sea." 

The  worthy  old  gentleman  seemed  really  distressed 
at  this  news.  He  shook  his  head,  and  I  heard  him 
murmur : 

"  Poor  Jim  !     Poor  Jim  !  " 

Then,  turning  to  me  again,  he  took  my  hand. 

"  This  makes  our  bond  a  doubly  strong  one.  You 
must  let  me  see  more  of  you !  How  long  do  you  pro 
pose  remaining  in  England  ?  " 

"  Not  very  much  longer,  I  fear.  I  am  already  be 
ginning  to  hunger  for  the  South  again." 

"  Well,  you  must  not  go  before  you  have  paid  us  a 


88  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

visit.  Remember  we  shall  always  be  pleased  to  see  you. 
You  know  our  house,  I  think.  Good-day,  sir,  good- 
day." 

So,  shaking  me  warmly  by  the  hand,  the  old  gentle 
man  accompanied  me  downstairs  to  his  carriage  and 
departed. 

Again  I  had  cause  to  ponder  on  the  strangeness  of 
the  fate  that  had  led  me  to  Hampshire — first  to  the  village 
where  my  father  was  born,  and  then  to  Bournemouth, 
where  by  saving  this  young  man's  life  I  had  made  a 
firm  friend  of  a  man  who  again  had  known  my  father. 
By  such  small  coincidences  are  the  currents  of  our  lives 
diverted. 

That  same  afternoon,  while  tacking  slowly  down  the 
bay,  I  met  the  Marquis  again.  He  was  pulling  himself 
in  a  small  skiff,  and  when  he  saw  me  he  made  haste  to 
come  alongside  and  hitch  on.  At  first  I  wondered 
whether  it  would  not  be  against  his  father's  wishes  that 
he  should  enter  into  conversation  with  such  a  worldling 
as  myself.  But  he  evidently  saw  what  was  passing  in 
my  mind,  and  banished  all  doubts  about  it  by  saying : 

"  I  have  been  on  the  look  out  for  you,  Mr.  Hatteras. 
My  father  has  given  me  permission  to  cultivate  your 
acquaintance,  if  you  will  allow  me  ?  " 

"  That  is  very  kind  of  you,"  I  answered.  "  Won't 
you  come  aboard  and  have  a  chat?  I'm  not  going  out 
of  the  bay  this  afternoon." 

He  clambered  over  the  side  and  seated  himself  in  the 
well,  clear  of  the  boom,  as  nice-looking  and  pleasant  a 
young  fellow  as  any  man  could  wish  to  set  eyes  on. 
"  Well,"  I  thought  to  myself,  "  if  all  Peers  were  like 
this  boy  there'd  be  less  talk  of  abolishing  the  House  of 
Lords." 

"  You  can't  imagine  how  I've  been  thinking  over  all 


MYSTERY.  89 

you  told  me  the  other  day,"  he  began  very  earnestly 
when  we  were  fairly  on  our  way.  "  I  want  you  to  tell 
me  more  about  Australia  and  the  life  you  lead  there,  if 
you  will?" 

"  I'll  tell  you  all  I  can  with  pleasure.  But  you  ought 
to  go  and  see  the  places  and  things  for  yourself.  That's 
better  than  any  telling.  I  wish  I  could  take  you  up  and 
carry  you  off  with  me  now ;  away  down  to  where  you 
can  make  out  the  green  islands  peeping  up  out  of  the 
water,  to  port  and  starboard,  like  bits  of  the  Garden  of 
Eden  gone  astray  and  floated  out  to  sea.  I'd  like  you 
to  smell  the  breezes  that  come  off  from  them  towards 
evening,  to  hear  the  "  trades  "  whistling  overhead,  and 
the  thunder  of  the  surf  breaking  on  the  reef.  Or  at 
another  time  to  get  inside  that  selfsame  reef  and  look 
down  through  the  still,  transparent  water,  at  the  rain 
bow-coloured  fish  dashing  among  the  coral  boulders, 
and  into  the  most  beautiful  fairy  grottoes  the  brain  of 
man  can  conceive." 

"  Oh,  it  must  be  lovely  !  And  to  think  I  may  live 
my  life  and  never  see  these  wonders.  Please  go  on ; 
what  else  can  you  tell  me  ?  " 

"  What  more  do  you  want  to  hear  ?  There  is  the 
pick  of  every  sort  of  life  for  you  out  there.  Would  you 
know  what  real  excitement  is  ?  Then  I  shall  take  you 
to  a  new  gold  rush.  You  must  imagine  yourself  setting 
off  for  the  field,  with  your  trusty  mate  marching  step 
by  step  beside  you,  pick  and  shovel  on  your  shoulders, 
and  both  resolved  to  make  your  fortunes  in  the  twink 
ling  of  an  eye.  When  you  get  there,  there's  the  digger 
crowd,  composed  of  every  nationality.  There's  the 
warden  and  his  staff,  the  police  officers,  the  shanty 
keepers,  the  blacks,  and  dogs. 

"  There's  the  tented  valley  stretching  away  to  right 


90  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

and  left  of  you,  with  the  constant  roar  of  sluice  boxes 
and  cradles,  the  creak  of  windlasses,  the  perpetual  noise 
of  human  voices.  There's  the  excitement  of  pegging 
out  your  claim  and  sinking  your  first  shaft,  wondering 
all  the  time  if  it  will  turn  up  trumps  or  nothing.  There's 
the  honest,  manly  labour  from  dawn  to  dusk.  And 
then,  when  daylight  fails,  and  the  lamps  begin  to  sparkle 
over  the  field,  songs  drift  up  the  hillside  from  the  drink 
ing  shanties  in  the  valley,  and  you  and  your  mate  weigh 
up  your  day's  returns,  and,  having  done  so,  turn  into 
your  blankets  to  dream  of  the  monster  nugget  you  in 
tend  to  find  upon  the  morrow.  Isn't  that  real  life  for 
you?" 

He  did  not  answer,  but  there  was  a  sparkle  in  his 
eyes  that  told  me  I  was  understood. 

"  Then  if  you  want  other  sorts  of  enterprise,  there  is 
Thursday  Island,  where  I  hail  from,  with  its  extraordi 
nary  people.  Suppose  we  wander  down  the  Front  at 
nightfall,  past  the  Kanaka  billiard  saloons  and  the 
Chinese  stores,  into,  say,  the  Hotel  of  All  Nations. 
Who  is  that  handsome,  dark,  mysterious  fellow,  smok 
ing  a  cigarette  and  idly  flirting  with  the  pretty  bar  girl  ? 
You  don't  know  him,  but  I  do !  There's  indeed  a  his 
tory  for  you.  You  didn't  notice,  perhaps,  that  rakish 
schooner  that  came  to  anchor  in  the  bay  early  in  the 
forenoon.  What  lines  she  had  !  Well,  that's  his  craft. 
To-morrow  she'll  be  gone,  it  is  whispered,  to  try  for 
pearl  in  prohibited  Dutch  waters.  Can't  you  imagine 
her  slinking  round  the  islands,  watching  for  the  patrol 
ling  gunboat,  and  ready,  directly  she  has  passed,  to  slip 
into  the  bay,  skim  its  shell,  and  put  to  sea  again.  Some 
times  they're  chased — and  then  ?  " 

"  What  then  ?  " 

"  Well,  a  clean  pair  of  heels  or  trouble  with  the  au- 


MYSTERY.  91 

thorities,  and  possibly  a  year  in  a  Dutch  prison  before 
you're  brought  to  trial !  Or  would  you  do  a  pearling 
trip  in  less  exciting  but  more  honest  fashion  ?  Would 
you  ship  aboard  a  lugger  with  five  good  companions, 
and  go  a-cruising  down  the  New  Guinea  coast,  working 
hard  all  day  long,  and  lying  out  on  deck  at  night,  smok 
ing  and  listening  to  the  lip-lap  of  the  water  against  the 
counter,  and  spinning  yarns  of  all  the  world  ?  " 

"  What  else  ?  " 

"  Why,  what  more  do  you  want  ?  Do  you  hanker 
after  a  cruise  aboard  a  stinking  Mche-de-mer  boat  inside 
the  Barrier  Eeef,  or  a  run  with  the  sandal-wood  cutters 
or  tortoiseshell  gatherers  to  New  Guinea ;  or  do  you 
want  to  go  ashore  again  and  try  an  overlanding  trip  half 
across  the  continent,  riding  behind  your  cattle  all  day 
long,  and  standing  your  watch  at  night  under  dripping 
boughs,  your  teeth  chattering  in  your  head,  waiting  for 
the  bulls  to  break,  while  every  moment  you  expect  to 
hear  the  Bunyip  calling  in  that  lonely  water-hole  beyond 
the  fringe  of  Mulga  scrub  ?  " 

"  You  make  me  almost  mad  with  longing." 

"  And  yet,  somehow,  it  doesn't  seem  so  fine  when 
you're  at  it.  It's  when  you  come  to  look  back  upon  it 
all  from  a  distance  of  twelve  thousand  miles  that  you 
feel  its  real  charm.  Then  it  calls  you  to  return  in  every 
rustle  of  the  leaves  ashore,  in  the  blue  of  the  sky,  in  the 
ripple  of  the  waves  at  sea.  And  it  eats  into  your  heart, 
so  that  you  begin  to  think  you'll  never  be  happy  till 
you're  back  in  the  old  tumultuous  devil-may-care  exist 
ence  again." 

"  What  a  life  you've  led.  And  how  much  better  it 
seems  than  the  dull  monotony  of  our  existence  here  in 
sleepy  old  England." 

"Don't  you  believe  it.  If  you  wanted  to  change  I 
7 


92  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

could  tell  you  of  dozens  of  men,  living  exactly  the  sort  of 
life  I've  described,  who  would  only  too  willingly  oblige 
you.  No,  no  !  You've  got  chances  of  doing  things  we 
could  never  dream  of.  Do  them,  then,  and  let  the  other 
go.  But  all  the  same,  I  think  yon  ought  to  see  more  of 
the  world  I've  told  you  of  before  you  settle  down.  In 
fact,  I  hinted  as  much  to  your  father  yesterday." 

"  He  said  that  you  had  spoken  of  it  to  him.  Oh, 
how  I  wish  he  would  let  me  go !  " 

"  Somehow,  d'you  know,  I  think  perhaps  he  will." 

I  put  the  cutter  over  on  another  tack,  and  we  went 
crashing  back  through  the  blue  water  towards  the  pier. 
The  strains  of  the  band  came  faintly  off  to  us.  I  had 
enjoyed  my  sail,  for  I  had  taken  a  great  fancy  to  this 
bright  young  fellow  sitting  by  my  side.  I  felt  I  should 
like  to  have  finished  the  education  his  father  had  so  gal 
lantly  begun.  There  was  something  irrisistibly  attrac 
tive  about  him,  so  modest,  so  unassuming,  and  yet  so 
straightforward  and  gentlemanly. 

Dropping  him  opposite  the  bathing  machines,  I  went 
on  to  my  own  anchorage  on  the  other  side  of  the  pier. 
Then  I  pulled  myself  ashore  and  went  up  to  the  town. 
I  had  forgotten  to  write  an  important  letter  that  morn 
ing,  and  as  it  was  essential  that  the  business  should  be 
attended  to  at  once,  to  repair  my  carelessness,  I  crossed 
the  public  gardens  and  went  up  the  hill  to  the  post 
office. 

I  must  tell  you  here  that  since  my  meeting  with  Mr. 
Baxter,  the  young  Marquis's  tutor,  I  had  been  thinking 
a  great  deal  about  him,  and  the  more  I  thought  of  him 
the  more  certain  I  became  that  we  had  met  somewhere 
before.  To  tell  the  truth,  a  great  distrust  of  the  man 
was  upon  me.  It  was  one  of  those  peculiar  antipa 
thies  that  no  one  can  explain.  I  did  not  like  his  face, 


MYSTERY.  93 

and  I  felt  sure  that  he  did  not  possess  any  too  much  love 
for  me. 

As  my  thoughts  were  still  centred  on  him,  my  aston 
ishment  may  be  imagined,  on  arriving  at  the  building, 
at  meeting  him  face  to  face  upon  the  steps.  He  seemed 
dumbfounded  at  seeing  me,  and  hummed  and  hawed 
over  his  "  good  afternoon  "  for  all  the  world  as  if  I  had 
caught  him  in  the  middle  of  some  guilty  action. 

Eeturning  his  salutation,  I  entered  the  building  and 
looked  about  me  for  a  desk  at  which  to  write  my  wire. 
There  was  only  one  vacant,  and  I  noticed  that  the  pencil 
suspended  on  the  string  was  still  swinging  to  and  fro  as 
it  had  been  dropped.  Now  Baxter  had  only  just  left  the 
building,  so  I  settled  it  in  my  own  mind  that  it  must 
have  been  he  who  had  last  used  the  stand.  I  pulled  the 
form  towards  me  and  prepared  to  write.  But  as  I  did 
so  I  noticed  that  the  previous  writer  had  pressed  so 
hard  upon  his  pencil  as  to  leave  the  exact  impression 
of  his  message  plainly  visible  upon  the  pad.  It  ran  as 
follows  : 

"LETTER  RECEIVED.      You  OMITTED   REVEREND. 

THE  TRAIN  IS  LAID,  BUT  A  NEW  ELEMENT  OF  DANGER 
HAS  ARISEN." 

It  was  addressed  to  "Nikola,  Green  Sailor  Hotel, 
East  India  Dock  Road,  London,"  and  was  signed  "  Nin 
eveh." 

The  message  was  so  curious  that  I  looked  at  it  again, 
and  the  longer  I  looked  the  more  certain  I  became  that 
Baxter  was  the  sender.  Partly  because  its  wording  in 
terested  me  and  partly  for  another  reason  which  will  be 
come  apparent  later  on,  I  inked  the  message  over,  tore 
it  from  the  pad,  and  placed  it  carefully  in  my  pocket- 


94  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

book.  One  thing  at  least  was  certain,  and  that  was  if 
Baxter  were  the  sender  there  was  something  underhand 
going  on.  If  he  were  not,  well,  then  there  could  be  no 
possible  harm  in  my  keeping  the  form  as  a  little  souvenir 
of  a  very  curious  experience. 

I  wrote  my  own  message,  and  having  paid  for  it,  left 
the  office.  But  I  was  not  destined  to  enjoy  the  society 
of  my  own  thoughts  for  long.  Hardly  had  I  reached  the 
Invalids'  Walk  before  I  felt  my  arm  touched.  To  my 
supreme  astonishment  I  found  myself  again  confronted 
by  Mr.  Baxter.  He  was  now  perfectly  calm  and  greeted 
me  with  extraordinary  civility. 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,  I  believe,"  he  said.  "  I  think  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  meeting  you  on  the  sands  a  few  days  ago. 
What  a  beautiful  day  it  is,  isn't  it?  Are  you  proceeding 
this  way  ?  Yes  ?  Then  perhaps  I  may  be  permitted  the 
honour  of  walking  a  little  way  with  you." 

"  With  pleasure,"  I  replied,  "  I  am  going  up  the 
cliff  to  my  hotel,  I  shall  be  glad  of  your  company.  I 
think  we  met  in  the  telegraph  office  just  now." 

"  In  the  post  office,  I  think.  I  had  occasion  to  go  in 
there  to  register  a  letter." 

His  speech  struck  me  as  remarkable.  My  observa 
tion  was  so  trivial  that  it  hardly  needed  an  answer,  and 
yet  not  only  did  he  vouchsafe  me  one,  but  he  corrected 
my  statement  and  volunteered  a  further  one  on  his 
own  account.  What  reason  could  he  have  for  want 
ing  to  make  me  understand  that  he  had  gone  in  there 
to  post  a  letter?  What  would  it  have  mattered  to 
me  if  he  had  been  there,  as  I  suggested,  to  send  a  tele 
gram  ? 

"  Mr.  Baxter,"  I  thought  to  myself,  "  I've  got  a  sort 
of  conviction  that  you're  not  the  man  you  pretend  to  be, 
and  what's  more  I'd  like  to  bet  a  shilling  to  a  halfpenny 


MYSTERY.  95 

that,  if  the  truth  were  only  known,  you're  this  mysteri 
ous  Nineveh." 

We  walked  for  some  distance  in  silence.  Presently 
my  friend  began  to  talk  again — this  time,  however,  in  a 
new  strain  and  perhaps  with  a  little  more  caution. 

"  You  have  been  a  great  traveller,  I  understand,  Mr. 
Hatteras." 

"  A  fairly  great  one,  Mr.  Baxter.  You  also,  I  am 
told,  have  seen  something  of  the  world." 

"  A  little— very  little." 

"The  South  Seas,  I  believe.  D'you  know  Pa 
peete?" 

"  I  have  been  there." 

"  D'you  know  New  Guinea  at  all  ?  " 

"  No.  I  was  never  near  it.  I  am  better  acquainted 
with  the  Far  East — India,  China,  Japan,  etc." 

Suddenly  something,  I  shall  never  be  able  to  tell 
what,  prompted  me  to  say : 

"And  the  Andamans?" 

The  effect  on  my  companion  was  as  sudden  as  it  was 
extraordinary.  For  a  moment  he  staggered  on  the  path 
like  a  drunken  man ;  his  face  grew  ashen  white,  and  he 
had  to  give  utterance  to  a  hoarse  choking  sound  before 
he  could  get  out  a  word.  Then  he  said : 

"  No — no — you  are  quite  mistaken,  I  assure  you,  I 
never  knew  the  Andamans." 

Now,  on  the  Andamans,  as  all  the  world  knows,  are 
located  the  Indian  penal  establishments,  and  noting  his 
behaviour,  I  became  more  and  more  convinced  in  my 
own  mind  that  there  was  some  mystery  about  Mr.  Bax 
ter  that  had  yet  to  be  explained.  I  had  still  a  trump 
card  to  play. 

"  I'm  afraid  you  are  not  very  well,  Mr.  Baxter.  Per 
haps  the  heat  is  too  much  for  you,  or  we  are  walking 


96  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

too  fast?    This  is  my  hotel.     Won't  you  come  inside 
and  take  a  glass  of  wine  or  something  to  revive  you  ?  " 

He  nodded  his  head  eagerly.  Large  drops  of  per 
spiration  stood  on  his  forehead,  and  I  saw  that  he  was 
quite  unstrung. 

"  I  am  not  well — not  at  all  well." 

As  soon  as  we  reached  the  smoking-room  I  rang  for 
two  brandies  and  sodas.  When  they  arrived  he  drank 
his  off  almost  at  a  gulp,  and  in  a  few  seconds  was  pretty 
well  himself  again. 

"  Thank  you  for  your  kindness,  Mr.  Hatteras.  I 
think  we  must  have  walked  up  the  hill  a  little  too  fast 
for  my  strength.  Now,  I  must  be  going  back  to  the 
town.  I  find  I  have  forgotten  something." 

Almost  by  instinct  I  guessed  his  errand.  He  was 
going  to  despatch  another  telegram.  Resolved  to  try 
the  effect  of  one  parting  shot,  I  said  : 

"  Perhaps  you  do  not  happen  to  be  going  near  the 
telegraph  office  again  ?  If  you  are,  should  I  be  taxing 
your  kindness  too  much  if  I  asked  you  to  leave  a  mes 
sage  there  for  me.  I  find  /  have  forgotten  one." 

He  bowed,  and  simply  said  : 

"  With  much  pleasure." 

He  pronounced  it  "  pleesure,"  and  as  he  said  it  he 
licked  his  lips  in  his  usual  self-satisfied  fashion.  I  won 
dered  how  he  would  conduct  himself  when  he  saw  the 
message  I  was  going  to  write. 

Taking  a  form  from  a  table  near  where  I  sat,  I  wrote 
the  following : 

i 
"  John  Nicholson, 

"  Langham  Hotel,  London. 

"  The  train  is  laid.  You  are  detected.  A  new  dan 
ger  has  arisen.  HATTEKAS." 


MYSTERY.  97 

Blotting  it  carefully,  I  gave  it  into  his  hands,  at  the 
same  time  asking  him  to  read  it,  lest  my  writing  should 
not  be  decipherable  and  any  question  might  be  asked 
concerning  it.  As  he  read  I  watched  his  face  intently. 
Never  shall  I  forget  the  expression  that  swept  over  it. 
I  had  scored  a  complete  victory.  The  shaft  went  home. 
But  only  for  an  instant.  With  wonderful  alacrity  he 
recovered  himself  and,  shaking  me  feebly  by  the  hand, 
bade  me  good-bye,  promising  to  see  that  my  message 
was  properly  delivered. 

When  he  had  gone  I  laid  myself  back  in  my  chair 
for  a  good  think.  The  situation  was  a  peculiar  one  in 
every  way.  If  he  were  up  to  some  devilry  I  had  prob 
ably  warned  him.  If  not,  why  had  he  betrayed  himself 
so  openly. 

Half  an  hour  later  an  answer  to  my  first  telegram 
arrived  and,  such  is  the  working  of  Fate,  it  necessitated 
my  immediate  return  to  London.  I  had  been  thinking 
of  going  for  some  days  past,  but  had  put  it  off.  Now 
it  was  arranged  for  me. 

As  I  did  not  know  whether  I  should  return  to 
Bournemouth  again,  I  determined  to  call  upon  the 
Marquis  to  bid  him  good-bye.  Accordingly,  donning 
my  hat,  I  set  off  for  the  house. 

If  Burke  may  be  believed,  the  Duke  of  Glenbarth 
possesses  houses  in  half  the  counties  of  the  kingdom ; 
but  I  am  told  his  seaside  residence  takes  precedence  of 
them  all  in  his  affections.  Standing  well  out  on  the 
cliffs,  it  commands  a  lovely  view  of  the  bay — looks 
towards  the  Purbeck  Hills  on  the  right,  and  the  Isle  of 
Wight  and  Hengestbury  Head  on  the  left.  The  house 
itself,  as  far  as  I  could  tell,  left  nothing  to  be  desired, 
and  the  grounds  had  been  beautified  and  cultivated  in 
the  highest  form  of  landscape  gardening. 


98  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

I  found  my  friend  and  his  father  in  a  summer  house 
upon  the  lawn.  Both  appeared  unaffectedly  glad  to 
see  me,  and  equally  sorry  to  hear  that  I  had  come  to 
wish  them  good-bye.  Mr.  Baxter  was  not  visible,  and 
it  was  with  no  little  surprise  I  learned  that  he,  too,  was 
contemplating  a  trip  to  the  Metropolis. 

"  I  hope,  if  ever  you  visit  Bournemouth  again,  you 
will  come  and  see  us,"  said  the  Duke  as  I  rose  to 
leave. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  I,  "  and  I  hope  if  ever  your  son 
visits  Australia  you  will  permit  me  to  be  of  some  service 
to  him." 

"  You  are  very  kind.  I  will  bear  your  offer  in 
mind." 

Shaking  hands  with  them  both,  I  wished  them  good 
bye  and  went  out  through  the  gate. 

But  I  was  not  to  escape  without  an  interview  with 
my  clerical  friend  after  all.  As  I  left  the  grounds  and 
turned  into  the  public  road  I  saw  a  man  emerge  from  a 
little  wicket  gate  some  fifty  yards  or  so  further  down 
the  hedge.  From  the  way  he  made  his  exit,  it  was  ob 
vious  he  had  been  waiting  for  me  to  leave  the  house. 

It  was,  certainly  enough,  my  old  friend  Baxter.  As 
I  came  up  with  him  he  said,  with  the  same  sanctimoni 
ous  grin  that  usually  encircled  his  mouth  playing  round 
it  now  : 

"  A  nice  evening  for  a  stroll,  Mr.  Hatteras." 

"  A  very  nice  evening,  as  you  say,  Mr.  Baxter." 

"  May  I  intrude  myself  upon  your  privacy  for  five 
minutes  ?  " 

"  With  pleasure.     What  is  your  business  ?  " 

"  Of  small  concern  to  you,  sir,  but  of  immense  im 
portance  to  me.  Mr.  Hatteras,  I  have  it  in  my  mind 
that  you  do  not  like  me." 


MYSTERY.  99 

"I  hope  I  have  not  given  you  cause  to  think  so. 
Pray  what  can  have  put  such  a  notion  into  your  head  ?  " 

I  half  hoped  that  he  would  make  some  allusion  to 
the  telegram  he  had  despatched  for  me  that  morning, 
but  he  was  far  too  cunning  for  that.  He  looked  me 
over  and  over  out  of  his  small  ferrety  eyes  before  he  re 
plied  : 

"  I  can  not  tell  you  why  I  think  so,  Mr.  Hatteras, 
but  instinct  generally  makes  us  aware  when  we  are  not 
quite  all  we  might  be  to  other  people.  Forgive  me  for 
speaking  in  this  way  to  you,  but  you  must  surely  see 
how  much  it  means  to  me  to  be  on  good  terms  with 
friends  of  my  employer's  family." 

"  You  are  surely  not  afraid  lest  I  should  prejudice 
the  Duke  against  you?" 

"  Not  afraid,  Mr.  Hatteras !  I  have  too  much  faith 
in  your  sense  of  justice  to  believe  that  you  would  will 
ingly  deprive  me  of  my  means  of  livelihood — for  of 
course  that  is  what  it  would  mean  in  plain  English." 

"  Then  you  need  have  no  fear.  I  have  just  said 
good-bye  to  them.  I  am  going  away  to-morrow,  and  it 
is  very  improbable  that  I  shall  ever  see  either  of  them 
again." 

"  You  are  leaving  for  Australia  ?  " 

"  Very  shortly,  I  think." 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  generous  way 
you  have  spoken  to  me.  I  shall  never  forget  your  kind 
ness." 

"  Pray  don't  mention  it.  Is  that  all  you  have  to  say 
to  me  ?  Then  good-evening !  " 

"  Good  evening,  Mr.  Hatteras." 

He  turned  back  by  another  gate  into  the  garden, 
and  I  continued  my  way  along  the  cliff,  reflecting  on  the 
curious  interview  I  had  just  passed  through.  If  the 


100  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

truth  must  be  known,  I  was  quite  at  a  loss  to  understand 
what  he  meant  by  it !  Why  had  he  asked  that  question 
about  Australia  ?  Was  it  only  chance  that  had  led  him  to 
put  it,  or  was  it  done  designedly,  and  for  some  reason 
connected  with  that  mysterious  "  train  "  mentioned  in 
his  telegram  ? 

I  was  to  find  out  later,  and  only  too  thoroughly ! 


CHAPTER  VI. 

I    MEET   DR.    NIKOLA    AGAIN. 

IT  is  strange  with  what  ease,  rapidity,  and  apparent 
unconsciousness  the  average  man  jumps  from  crisis  to 
crisis  in  this  strange  medley  he  is  accustomed  so  flip 
pantly  to  call  Life.  It  was  so  in  my  case.  For  two 
days  after  my  return  from  Bournemouth  I  was  com 
pletely  immersed  in  the  toils  of  Hatton  Garden,  had  no 
thought  above  the  sale  of  pearls  and  the  fluctuations  in 
the  price  of  shell ;  yet,  notwithstanding  all  this,  the 
afternoon  of  the  third  day  found  me  kicking  my  heels 
on  the  pavement  of  Trafalgar  Square,  my  mind  quite 
made  up,  my  passage  booked,  and  my  ticket  for  Aus 
tralia  stowed  away  in  my  pocket. 

The  grim,  stone  faces  of  the  lions  above  me  were 
somehow  seen  obscurely,  Nelson's  monument  was  equally 
unregarded,  for  my  thoughts  were  far  away  with  my 
mind's  eye,  and  both  were  completely  occupied  follow 
ing  a  steamer  as  she  threaded  her  tortuous  way  between 
the  Heads  and  along  the  placid  waters  of  Sydney  Har 
bour. 

So  wrapped  up  was  I  in  the  folds  of  this  agreeable 
reverie  that  when  I  felt  a  heavy  hand  upon  my  shoulder 
and  heard  a  masculine  voice  say  joyfully  in  my  ear, 
"Dick  Hatteras,  or  I'm  a  Dutchman,"  I  started  as  if  I 
had  been  shot. 

101 


102  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Brief  as  was  the  time  given  me  for  reflection,  it  was 
long  enough  for  that  voice  to  conjure  up  a  wealth  of 
reminiscence  in  my  mind.  The  last  time  I  had  heard 
it  was  on  the  bridge  of  the  steamer  Yarraman,  lying 
in  the  land-locked  harbour  of  Cairns,  on  the  Eastern 
Queensland  coast ;  a  canoef  ul  of  darkies  were  jabbering 
alongside,  and  a  cargo  of  bananas  was  being  shipped 
aboard. 

I  turned  and  held  out  my  hand. 

"  Jim  Percival ! "  I  cried,  with  as  much  pleasure  as 
astonishment.  "  How  on  earth  does  it  come  about  that 
you  are  here  ?  " 

"  Arrived  three  days  ago,"  the  good-looking  young 
fellow  replied.  "  We're  lying  off  the  West  India  Docks. 
The  old  man  kept  us  at  it  like  galley  slaves  till  I  began 
to  think  we  should  never  get  the  cargo  out.  Been  up 
to  the  office  this  morning,  coming  back  saw  you  stand 
ing  here  looking  as  if  you  were  thinking  of  something 
ten  thousand  miles  away,  nearly  jumped  out  of  my  skin 
with  astonishment,  thought  there  couldn't  be  two  men 
with  the  same  face  and  build,  so  smacked  you  on  the 
back,  discovered  I  was  right,  and  here  we  are.  Now 
spin  your  yarn.  But  stay,  let's  first  find  a  more  con 
venient  place  than  this." 

We  strolled  down  the  Strand  together,  and  at  last 
had  the  good  fortune  to  discover  a  "  house  of  call  "  that 
met  with  even  his  critical  approval.  Here  I  narrated  as 
much  of  my  doings  since  we  had  last  met  as  I  thought 
would  satisfy  his  curiosity.  My  meeting  with  that  mys 
terious  individual  at  the  French  restaurant  and  my  sus 
picions  of  Baxter  particularly  amused  him. 

"  What  a  rum  beggar  you  are,  to  be  sure,"  was  his 
disconcerting  criticism  when  I  had  finished.  "  What 
earthly  reason  have  you  for  thinking  that  this  chap, 


I  MEET  DR.  NIKOLA  AGAIN.  103 

Baxter,  has  any  designs  upon  your  young  swell,  Becken- 
ham,  or  whatever  his  name  may  be  ?  " 

"  What  makes  you  stand  by  to  shorten  sail  when 
you  see  a  suspicious  look  about  the  sky?  Instinct, 
isn't  it?" 

"That's  a  poor  way  out  of  the  argument,  to  my 
thinking." 

"  "Well,  at  any  rate,  time  will  show  how  far  I'm  right 
or  wrong ;  though  I  don't  suppose  I  shall  hear  any  more 
of  the  affair,  as  I  return  to  Australia  in  the  Saratoga  on 
Friday  next." 

"  And  what  are  you  going  to  do  now  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  the  remotest  idea.  My  business  is  com 
pleted  and  I'm  just  kicking  my  heels  in  idleness  till 
Friday  comes  and  it  is  time  for  me  to  set  off  for  Plym 
outh." 

"  Then  I  have  it.  You'll  just  come  along  down  to 
the  docks  with  me ;  I'm  due  back  at  the  old  hooker  at 
five  sharp.  You'll  dine  with  us — pot  luck,  of  course. 
Your  old  friend  Eiley  is  still  chief  officer ;  I'm  second  ; 
young  Cleary,  whom  you  remember  as  apprentice,  is  now 
third,  and,  if  I'm  not  very  much  mistaken,  we'll  find  old 
Donald  Maclean  aboard  too,  tinkering  away  at  his  be 
loved  engines.  I  don't  believe  that  fellow  could  take  a 
holiday  away  from  his  thrust  blocks  and  piston  rods  if 
he  were  paid  to.  We'll  have  a  palaver  about  old  times, 
and  I'll  put  you  ashore  myself  when  you  want  to  go. 
There,  what  do  you  say  ?  " 

"  I'm  your  man,"  said  I,  jumping  at  his  offer,  with 
an  alacrity  that  must  have  been  flattering  to  him. 

The  truth  was,  I  was  delighted  to  have  secured  some 
sort  of  companionship,  for  London,  despite  its  multi 
tudinous  places  of  amusement,  and  its  five  millions  of 
inhabitants,  is  but  a  dismal  caravanserai  to  be  left  alone 


104  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

in.  Moreover,  the  Yarramari's  officers  and  myself  were 
old  friends,  and,  if  the  truth  must  be  told,  my  heart 
yearned  for  the  sight  of  a  ship  and  a  talk  about  days 
gone  by. 

Accordingly,  we  made  our  way  down  to  the  Em 
bankment,  took  the  underground  train  at  Charing  Cross 
for  Fenchurch  Street,  thence  by  "The  London  and 
Blackwall "  to  the  West  India  Docks. 

The  Yarraman,  travel-stained  and  bearing  on  her 
weather-beaten  plates  the  evidences  of  the  continuous 
tramp-like  life  she  had  led,  lay  well  out  in  the  stream. 
Chartering  a  waterman,  we  were  put  on  board,  and  I  had 
the  satisfaction  of  renewing  my  acquaintance  with  her 
chief  officer,  Riley,  at  the  yawning  mouth  of  the  for'ard 
hatch.  The  whilom  apprentice,  Cleary,  now  raised  to 
the  dignity  of  third  officer,  grinned  a  welcome  to  me 
from  among  the  disordered  raffle  of  the  fo'c's'le  head, 
while  that  excellent  artificer,  Maclean,  oil-can  and  span 
ner  in  hand,  greeted  me  affectionately  in  Gaelic  from 
the  entrance  to  the  engine-room.  The  skipper  was 
ashore,  so  I  seated  myself  on  the  steps  leading  to  the 
hurricane  deck,  and  felt  at  home  immediately. 

Upon  the  circumstances  attending  that  reunion 
there  is  no  necessity  for  me  to  dwell.  Suffice  it  that 
we  dined  in  the  deserted  wastes  of  the  saloon,  and  ad 
journed  later  to  my  friend  Percival's  cabin  in  the  alley 
way  just  for'ard  of  the  engine-room,  where  a  bottle  of 
Scotch  whisky,  a  strange  collection  of  glass  ware,  and 
an  assortment  of  excellent  cigars,  were  produced.  Per- 
cival  and  Cleary,  being  juniors,  ensconced  themselves 
on  the  top  bunk ;  Maclean  (who  had  been  induced  to 
abandon  his  machinery  in  honour  of  our  meeting)  was 
given  the  washhandstand.  Eiley  took  the  cushioned 
locker  in  the  corner,  while  I,  as  guest,  was  permitted  the 


I   MEET  DR.  NIKOLA  AGAIN.  105 

luxury  of  a  canvas-backed  deck  chair,  the  initials  on  the 
back  of  which  were  not  those  of  its  present  owner.  At 
first  the  conversation  was  circumscribed,  and  embraced 
Plimsoll,  the  attractions  of  London,  and  the  decline  in 
the  price  of  freight ;  but,  as  the  contents  of  the  second 
bottle  waned,  speech  became  more  unfettered,  and  the 
talk  drifted  into  channels  and  latitudes  widely  dif 
ferent.  Circumstances  connected  with  bygone  days  were 
recalled  ;  the  faces  of  friends  long  hidden  in  the  mists 
of  time  were  brought  again  to  mind ;  anecdotes  illustra 
tive  of  native  character  succeeded  each  other  in  brisk 
succession,  till  Maclean,  without  warning,  finding  his 
voice,  burst  into  incongruous  melody.  One  song  sug 
gested  another  ;  a  banjo  was  produced,  and  tuned  to  the 
noise  of  clinking  glasses ;  and  every  moment  the  atmos 
phere  grew  thicker,  and  the  din  waxed  greater. 

How  long  this  concert  would  have  lasted  I  cannot 
say,  but  I  remember,  after  the  third  repetition  of  the 
chorus  of  a  sea-chanty  that  might  have  been  heard  a 
mile  away,  glancing  at  my  watch  and  discovering  to  my 
astonishment  that  it  was  after  ten  o'clock.  Then  ris 
ing  to  my  feet  I  resisted  all  temptations  to  stay  the 
night  and  reminded  my  friend  Percival  of  his  promise 
to  put  me  ashore  again.  He  was  true  to  his  word,  and 
five  minutes  later  we  were  shoving  off  from  the  ship's 
side  amid  the  valedictions  of  my  hosts.  I  have  a  recol 
lection  to  this  day  of  the  face  of  the  chief  engineer  gaz 
ing  down  upon  me  from  above  the  bulwarks,  and  of  his 
quavering  voice  asserting  the  fact,  in  dolorous  tones, 
that 

"  Aft  hae  I  rov'd  by  bonny  Doon, 
To  see  the  rose  and  woodbine  twine ; 
And  ilka  bird  sang  o'  its  luve, 
And  fondly  sae  did  I  o'  mine." 


106  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

With  this  amorous  farewell  still  ringing  in  my  ears 
I  landed  at  Limehouse  Pier,  and  bidding  my  friend  good 
bye  betook  myself  by  the  circuitous  route  of  Emmett 
and  Ropemaker  Streets  and  Church  Row  to  that  aristo 
cratic  thoroughfare  known  as  the  East  India  Dock  Road. 

The  night  was  dark  and  a  thick  rain  was  falling, 
presenting  the  mean-looking  houses,  muddy  road,  and 
foot-stained  pavements  in  an  aspect  that  was  even 
more  depressing  than  was  usual  to  them.  Despite  the 
inclemency  of  the  weather  and  the  lateness  of  the 
hour,  however,  the  street  was  crowded ;  blackguard 
men  and  foul-mouthed  women,  such  a  class  as  I  had 
never  in  all  my  experience  of  rough  folk  encountered 
before,  jostled  each  other  on  the  pavements  with  scant 
ceremony ;  costermongers  cried  their  wares,  small  boys 
dashed  in  and  out  of  the  crowd  at  top  speed,  and  flar 
ing  gin  palaces  took  in  and  threw  out  continuous 
streams  of  victims. 

For  some  minutes  I  stood  watching  this  melancholy 
picture,  contrasting  it  with  others  in  my  mind.  Then 
turning  to  my  left  hand  I  pursued  my  way  in  the  direc 
tion  I  imagined  the  Stepney  railway  station  to  lie.  It 
was  not  pleasant  walking,  but  I  was  interested  in  the 
life  about  me — the  people,  the  shops,  the  costermon 
gers'  barrows,  and  I  might  even  say  the  public-houses. 
To  an  Australian  there  was  something  very  depressing 
yet  very  novel  about  it  all. 

I  had  not  made  my  way  more  than  a  hundred  yards 
along  the  street  when  an  incident  occurred  that  brought 
with  it  a  train  of  highly  important  circumstances.  As 
I  crossed  the  entrance  to  a  small  side  street,  the  door  of 
an  ill-looking  tavern  was  suddenly  thrust  open  and  the 
body  of  a  man  was  propelled  from  it,  with  a  considerable 
amount  of  violence,  directly  into  my  arms.  Having  no 


I  MEET  DR.  NIKOLA  AGAIN".  107 

desire  to  act  as  his  support  I  pushed  him  from  me,  and 
as  I  did  so  glanced  at  the  door  through  which  he  had 
been  ejected.  Upon  the  glass  was  a  picture,  presumably 
nautical,  and  under  it  this  legend  "  The  Green  Sailor." 
In  a  flash  Bournemouth  post  office  rose  before  my  mind's 
eye,  the  startled  face  of  Baxter  on  the  doorstep,  the 
swinging  pencil  on  the  telegraph  stand,  and  the  imprint 
of  the  mysterious  message  addressed  to  "  Nikola,  Green 
Sailor  Hotel,  East  India  Dock  Eoad."  So  complete 
was  my  astonishment  that  at  first  I  could  do  nothing  but 
stand  stupidly  staring  at  it,  then  my  curiosity  asserted 
itself  and,  seeking  the  private  entrance,  I  stepped  inside. 
A  short  passage  conducted  me  to  a  small  and  evil-smell 
ing  room  abutting  on  the  bar.  On  the  popular  side  of 
the  counter  the  room  was  crowded ;  in  the  place  where 
I  found  myself  I  was  the  sole  customer.  A  small  table 
stood  in  the  centre,  round  this  two  or  three  chairs  were 
ranged,  whilst  several  pugnacious  prints  lent  an  air  of 
decoration  to  the  walls. 

On  the  other  side,  to  the  left  of  that  through  which 
I  had  entered,  a  curtained  doorway  hinted  at  a  similar 
room  beyond.  A  small  but  heavily  built  man,  whom  I 
rightly  judged  to  be  the  landlord,  was  busily  engaged 
with  an  assistant  in  dispensing  liquor  at  the  counter,  but 
when  I  rapped  upon  the  table  he  forsook  his  customers, 
and  came  to  learn  my  wishes.  I  called  for  a  glass  of 
whisky,  and  seated  myself  at  the  table  preparatory  to 
commencing  my  enquiries  as  to  the  existence  of  Baxter's 
mysterious  friend.  But  at  the  moment  that  I  was  put 
ting  my  first  question  the  door  behind  the  half-drawn 
curtain,  which  must  have  been  insecurely  fastened, 
opened  about  an  inch,  and  a  voice  greeted  my  ears  that 
brought  me  up  all  standing  with  surprise.  It  was  the 
voice  of  Baxter  himself. 


108  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"I  assure  you,"  he  was  saying,  "it  was  desperate 
work  from  beginning  to  end,  and  I  was  never  so  relieved 
in  my  life  as  when  I  discovered  that  he  had  really  come 
to  say  good-bye." 

At  this  juncture  one  of  them  must  have  realised  that 
the  door  was  open,  for  I  heard  someone  rise  from  his 
chair  and  come  towards  it.  Acting  under  the  influence 
of  a  curiosity,  which  was  as  baneful  to  him  as  it  was  for 
tunate  to  me,  before  closing  it  he  opened  the  door  wider 
and  looked  into  the  room  where  I  sat.  It  was  Baxter, 
and  if  I  live  to  be  a  hundred  I  shall  not  forget  the  ex 
pression  on  his  face  as  his  eyes  fell  on  me. 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  gasped,  clutching  at  the  wall  for 
support. 

Eesolved  to  take  him  at  a  disadvantage,  I  rushed 
towards  him  and  shook  him  warmly  by  the  hand,  at 
the  same  time  noticing  that  he  had  discarded  his 
clerical  costume.  It  was  too  late  now  for  him  to  pre 
tend  that  he  did  not  know  me,  and  as  I  had  taken  the 
precaution  to  place  my  foot  against  it,  it  was  equally 
impossible  for  him  to  shut  the  door.  Seeing  this  he 
felt  compelled  to  surrender,  and  I  will  do  him  the  jus 
tice  to  admit  that  he  did  it  with  as  good  a  grace  as  pos 
sible. 

"  Mr.  Baxter,"  I  said,  "  this  is  the  last  place  I  should 
have  expected  to  meet  you  in.  May  I  come  in  and  sit 
down  ? " 

"Without  giving  him  time  to  reply  I  entered  the 
room,  resolved  to  see  who  his  companion  might  be.  Of 
course,  in  my  own  mind  I  had  quite  settled  that  it  was 
the  person  to  whom  he  had  telegraphed  from  Bourne 
mouth — in  other  words,  Nikola.  But  who  was  Nikola? 
And  had  I  ever  seen  him  before  ? 

My  curiosity  was  destined  to  be  satisfied,  and  in  a 


I  MEET  DR.  NIKOLA  AGAIN.  109 

most  unexpected  fashion.  For  there,  sitting  at  the 
table,  a  half-smoked  cigarette  between  his  fingers,  and 
his  face  turned  towards  me,  was  the  man  whom  I  had 
seen  playing  chess  in  the  restaurant,  the  man  who  had 
told  me  my  name  by  the  cards  in  my  pocket,  and  the 
man  who  had  warned  me  in  such  a  mysterious  way  about 
my  sweetheart's  departure.  He  was  Baxter's  correspon 
dent  !  He  was  Nikola  ! 

Whatever  my  surprise  may  have  been,  he  was  not  in 
the  least  disconcerted,  but  rose  calmly  from  his  seat  and 
proffered  me  his  hand,  saying  as  he  did  so : 

"  Good  evening,  Mr.  Hatteras.  I  am  delighted  to  see 
you,  and  still  more  pleased  to  learn  that  you  and  my 
worthy  old  friend,  Baxter,  have  met  before.  Won't  you 
sit  down  ?  " 

I  seated  myself  on  a  chair  at  the  further  end  of  the 
table ;  Baxter  meanwhile  looked  from  one  to  the  other 
of  us  as  if  uncertain  whether  to  go  or  stay.  Presently, 
however,  he  seemed  to  make  up  his  mind,  and  advanc 
ing  towards  Nikola,  said,  with  an  earnestness  that  I 
could  see  was  assumed  for  the  purpose  of  putting  me  off 
the  scent : 

"  And  so  I  cannot  induce  you,  Dr.  Nikola,  to  fit  out 
an  expedition  for  the  work  I  have  named  ?  " 

"  If  I  had  five  thousand  pounds  to  throw  away,"  re 
plied  Nikola,  "  I  might  think  of  it,  Mr.  Baxter,  but  as  I 
haven't  you  must  understand  that  it  is  impossible." 
Then  seeing  that  the  other  was  anxious  to  be  going,  he 
continued,  "  Must  you  be  off  ?  then  good-night." 

Baxter  shook  hands  with  us  both  with  laboured 
cordiality  and  then  slunk  from  the  room.  When  the 
door  closed  upon  him  Nikola  turned  to  me. 

"  There  must  be  some  fascination  about  a  mission 
ary's  life  after  all,"  he  said.  "  My  old  tutor,  Baxter,  as 


HO  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

you  are  aware,  has  a  comfortable  position  with  the 
young  Marquis  of  Beckenham,  which  if  he  conducts 
himself  properly  may  lead  to  something  really  worth 
having  in  the  future,  and  yet  here  he  is  anxious  to  sur 
render  it  in  order  to  go  back  to  his  missionary  work  in 
New  Guinea,  to  his  hard  life,  insufficient  food,  and 
almost  certain  death." 

"  He  was  in  New  Guinea  then  ?  " 

"  Five  years — so  he  tells  me." 

"  Are  you  certain  of  that  ?  " 

"  Absolutely ! " 

"  Then  all  I  can  say  is  that  in  spite  of  his  cloth,  Mr. 
Baxter  does  not  always  tell  the  truth." 

"  I  am  sorry  you  should  think  that.  Pray  what  rea 
son  have  you  for  saying  so  ?  " 

"  Simply  because  in  a  conversation  I  had  with  him 
at  Bournemouth  he  deliberately  informed  me  that  he 
had  never  been  near  New  Guinea  in  his  life." 

"  You  must  have  misunderstood  him.  However  that 
has  nothing  to  do  with  us.  Let  us  turn  to  a  pleasanter 
subject." 

He  rang  the  bell,  and  when  the  landlord  appeared 
ordered  more  refreshment.  When  it  arrived  he  lit 
another  cigarette,  and  leaning  back  in  his  chair  glanced 
at  me  through  half-closed  eyes. 

Then  occurred  one  of  the  most  curious  and  weird 
circumstances  connected  with  this  meeting.  Hardly 
had  he  laid  himself  back  in  his  chair  before  I  heard  a 
faint  scratching  against  the  table  leg,  and  next  moment 
an  enormous  cat,  black  as  the  Pit  of  Tophet,  sprang 
with  a  bound  upon  the  table  and  stood  there  steadfastly 
regarding  me,  its  eyes  flashing  and  its  back  arched.  I 
have  seen  cats  without  number,  Chinese,  Persian,  Manx, 
the  Australian  wild  cat,  and  the  English  tabby,  but 


I   MEET  DR.  NIKOLA  AGAIX. 

never  in  the  whole  course  of  my  existence  have  I  met 
with  such  another  as  the  cat  owned  by  Dr.  Nikola. 
When  it  had  regarded  me  with  evil  eyes  for  more  than 
a  minute,  it  stepped  daintily  across  to  its  master,  and 
rubbed  itself  backwards  and  forwards  against  his  arm, 
then  to  my  astonishment  it  clambered  up  on  to  his  shoul 
der  and  again  gave  me  the  benefit  of  its  fixed  attention. 
Dr.  Nikola  must  have  observed  the  amazement  depicted 
in  my  face,  for  he  smiled  in  a  curious  fashion,  and  coax 
ing  the  beast  down  into  his  lap  fell  to  stroking  its  fur 
with  his  long,  white  fingers.  It  was  as  uncanny  a  per 
formance  as  ever  I  had  the  privilege  of  witnessing. 

"  And  so,  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  said  slowly,  "  you  are 
thinking  of  leaving  us." 

"  I  am,"  I  replied,  with  a  little  start  of  natural  as 
tonishment.  "  But  how  did  you  know  it  ?  " 

"  After  the  conjuring  tricks — we  agreed  to  call  them 
conjuring  tricks,  I  think — I  showed  you  a  week  or  two 
ago,  I  wonder  that  you  should  ask  such  a  question. 
You  have  the  ticket  in  your  pocket  even  now." 

All  the  time  he  had  been  speaking  his  extraordinary 
eyes  had  never  left  my  face  ;  they  seemed  to  be  reading 
my  very  soul,  and  his  cat  ably  seconded  his  efforts. 

"  I  should  like  to  ask  you  a  few  questions  about 
those  self-same  conjuring  tricks,"  I  said.  "Do  you 
know  you  gave  me  a  most  peculiar  warning  ?  " 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  it;  I  hope  you  profited  by  it." 

"  It  cost  me  a  good  deal  of  uneasiness,  if  that's  any 
consolation  to  you.  I  want  to  know  how  you  did 
it?" 

"  My  fame  as  a  wizard  would  soon  evaporate  if  I  re 
vealed  my  methods,"  he  answered,  still  looking  stead 
fastly  at  me.  "  However,  I  will  give  you  another  ex 
hibition  of  my  powers,  if  you  like.  In  fact,  another 


A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

warning.  Have  you  confidence  enough  in  me  to  ac 
cept  it?" 

"  I'll  wait  and  see  what  it  is  first,"  I  replied  cau 
tiously,  trying  to  remove  my  eyes  from  his. 

"  Well,  my  warning  to  you  is  this — you  intend  to 
sail  in  the  Saratoga  for  Australia  on  Friday  next,  don't 
you  ?  Well,  then,  don't  go ;  as  you  love  your  life,  don't 
go." 

"  Good  gracious  !  and  why  on  earth  not  ?  "  I  cried. 

He  stared  fixedly  at  me  for  more  than  half  a  minute 
before  he  answered.  There  was  no  escaping  those 
dreadful  eyes,  and  the  regular  sweep  of  those  long  white 
fingers  on  the  cat's  black  fur  seemed  to  send  a  cold 
shiver  right  down  my  spine.  Bit  by  bit  I  began  to  feel 
a  curious  sensation  of  dizziness  creeping  over  me. 

"  Because  you  will  not  go.  You  cannot  go.  I  for 
bid  you  to  go." 

I  roused  myself  with  an  effort,  and  sprang  to  my 
feet,  crying  as  I  did  so  : 

"  And  what  the  devil  right  have  you  to  forbid  me  to 
do  anything  ?  I'll  go  on  Friday,  come  what  may.  And 
I'd  like  to  see  the  man  who  will  prevent  me." 

He  must  have  realised  that  his  attempt  to  hypnotise 
me  (for  attempt  it  certainly  was)  had  proved  a  failure. 
But  he  was  not  in  the  least  disconcerted. 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  he  murmured  gently,  knocking 
off  the  ash  of  his  cigarette  against  the  table  edge  as  he 
did  so,  "  no  one  is  seeking  to  prevent  you.  I  gave  you, 
at  your  own  request — you  will  do  me  the  justice  to  admit 
that — a  little  piece  of  advice.  If  you  do  not  care  to 
follow  it,  that  is  your  concern,  not  mine ;  but  pray  do 
not  blame  me.  Must  you  really  go  now  ?  Then  good 
night,  and  good-bye,  for  I  don't  suppose  I  shall  see  yon 
this  side  of  the  line  again." 


I  MEET  DR.  NIKOLA  AGAIN".  H3 

I  took  his  proffered  hand,  and  wished  him  good 
night.  Having  done  so,  I  left  the  house,  heartily  glad 
to  have  said  good-bye  to  the  only  man  in  my  life  whom 
I  have  really  feared. 

When  in  the  train,  on  my  way  back  to  town,  I  came 
to  review  the  meeting  in  the  "  Green  Sailor,"  I  found 
myself  face  to  face  with  a  series  of  problems  very  diffi 
cult  to  work  out.  How  had  Nikola  first  learnt  my 
name?  How  had  he  heard  of  the  Wetherells ?  Was  he 
the  mysterious  person  his  meeting  with  whom  had 
driven  Wetherell  out  of  England?  Why  had  Baxter 
telegraphed  to  him  that  "  the  train  was  laid"?  Was  I 
the  new  danger  that  had  arisen?  How  had  Baxter 
come  to  be  at  the  "  Green  Sailor  "  in  non-clerical  cosr 
tume?  Why  had  he  been  so  disturbed  at  my  entry? 
Why  had  Nikola  invented  such  a  lame  excuse  to  ac 
count  for  his  presence  there  ?  Why  had  he  warned  me 
not  to  sail  in  the  Saratoga  ?  and,  above  all,  why  had  he 
resorted  to  hypnotism  to  secure  his  ends  ? 

I  asked  myself  these  questions  one  by  one,  and  one 
by  one  I  failed  to  answer  them  to  my  satisfaction.  But 
whatever  other  conclusion  I  might  have  come  to,  one 
thing  at  least  was  certain :  that  was,  that  my  original 
supposition  was  a  correct  one.  There  was  a  tremendous 
mystery  somewhere.  Whether  or  not  I  was  to  lose  my 
interest  in  it  after  Friday  remained  to  be  seen. 

Arriving  at  Fenchurch  Street,  I  again  took  the  Un 
derground,  and  bringing  up  at  the  Temple,  walked  to 
my  hotel  off  the  Strand.  It  was  nearly  twelve  o'clock 
by  the  time  I  entered  the  hall ;  but  late  as  it  was  I 
found  time  to  examine  the  letter  rack.  It  contained 
two  envelopes  bearing  my  name,  and  taking  them  out  I 
carried  them  with  me  to  my  room.  One,  to  my  delight, 
bore  the  postmark  of  Port  Said,  and  was  addressed  in 


114  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

my  sweetheart's  handwriting.  You  may  guess  how 
eagerly  I  tore  it  open,  and  with  what  avidity  I  devoured 
its  contents.  From  it  I  gathered  that  they  had  arrived 
at  the  entrance  of  the  Suez  Canal  safely ;  that  her  father 
seemed  to  have  recovered  his  spirits  more  and  more 
with  every  mile  that  separated  them  from  Europe.  He 
was  now  almost  himself  again,  she  said,  but  still  refused 
with  characteristic  determination  to  entertain  the 
smallest  notion  of  me  as  a  son-in-law.  But  Phyllis  her 
self  did  not  despair  of  being  able  to  talk  him  round. 
Then  came  a  paragraph  which  struck  me  as  being  so 
peculiar  as  to  warrant  my  reproducing  it  here : 

"  The  passengers,  what  we  have  seen  of  them,  appear 
to  be,  with  one  exception,  a  nice  enough  set  of  people. 
That  exception,  however,  is  intolerable ;  his  name  is 
Prendergast,  and  his  personal  appearance  is  as  objec 
tionable  as  his  behaviour  is  extraordinary ;  his  hair  is 
snow-white,  and  his  face  is  deeply  pitted  with  small-pox. 
This  is,  of  course,  not  his  fault,  but  it  seems  somehow  to 
aggravate  the  distaste  I  have  for  him.  Unfortunately  we 
were  thrown  into  his  company  in  Naples,  and  since  then 
the  creature  has  so  far  presumed  upon  that  introduction, 
that  he  scarcely  leaves  me  alone  for  a  moment.  Papa 
does  not  seem  to  mind  him  so  much,  but  I  continually 
thank  goodness  that,  as  he  leaves  the»boat  in  Port  Said, 
the  rest  of  the  voyage  will  be  performed  without  him." 

The  remainder  of  the  letter  has  no  concern  for  any 
one  but  myself.  I  folded  it  up  and  put  it  in  my  pocket, 
feeling  that  if  I  had  been  on  board  the  boat  I  should  in 
all  probability  have  allowed  Mr.  Prendergast  to  under 
stand  that  his  company  was  distasteful  and  not  in  the 
least  required.  If  I  could  only  have  foreseen  that 
within  a  fortnight  I  was  to  be  enjoying  the  doubtful 


I  MEET  DR.   NIKOLA  AGAIN.  H5 

pleasure  of  that  very  gentleman's  society,  under  circum 
stances  as  important  as  life  and  death,  I  should  have 
thought  still  more  strongly  on  the  subject. 

The  handwriting  of  the  second  envelope  was  bold, 
full  of  character,  but  quite  unknown  to  me.  I  opened 
it  with  a  little  feeling  of  curiosity,  and  glanced  at  the 
signature,  "  Beckenham." 

It  ran  as  follows  : 

"  WEST  CLIFF,  BOURNEMOUTH,  Tuesday  Evening. 

"  MY  DEAR  MR.  HATTERAS  :  I  have  great  and  won 
derful  news  to  tell  you  !  This  week  has  proved  an  ex 
traordinarily  eventful  one  for  me,  for  what  do  you 
think  ?  My  father  has  suddenly  decided  that  I  shall 
travel.  All  the  details  have  been  settled  in  a  great 
hurry.  You  will  understand  this  when  I  tell  you  that 
Mr.  Baxter  and  I  sail  for  Sydney  in  the  steamship  Sara 
toga  next  week.  My  father  telegraphed  to  Mr.  Baxter, 
who  is  in  London,  to  book  our  passages  and  to  choose 
our  cabins  this  morning.  I  can  only  say  that  my  great 
est  wish  is  that  you  were  coming  with  us.  Is  it  so  im 
possible  ?  Cannot  you  make  your  arrangements  and  do 
this  ?  We  shall  travel  overland  to  Naples  and  join  the 
boat  there.  This  is  Mr.  Baxter's  proposition,  and  you 
may  be  sure,  considering  what  I  shall  see  en  route,  I 
have  no  objection  to  urge  against  it.  Our  tour  will  be 
an  extensive  one.  We  visit  Australia  and  New  Zealand, 
go  thence  to  Honolulu,  thence  to  San  Francisco,  return 
ing  across  the  United  States,  via  Canada,  to  Liverpool. 

"  You  may  imagine  how  excited  I  am  at  the  pros 
pect,  and  as  I  feel  that  I  owe  a  great  measure  of  my 
good  fortune  to  you,  I  want  to  be  the  first  to  acquaint 
you  of  it.  Yours  ever  sincerely, 

"  BECKENHAM." 


116  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

I  read  the  letter  through  a  second  time,  and  then  sat 
down  on  my  bed  to  think  it  out.  One  thing  was  self- 
evident.  I  knew  now  how  Nikola  became  aware  that  I 
was  going  to  sail  in  the  mail  boat  on  Friday ;  Baxter 
had  seen  my  name  in  the  passenger  list,  and  informed 
him. 

I  undressed  and  went  to  bed,  but  not  to  sleep.  I 
had  a  problem  to  work  out,  and  a  more  than  usually 
difficult  one  it  was.  Here  was  the  young  Marquis  of 
Beckenham,  I  told  myself,  only  son  of  his  father,  in 
duced  to  travel  by  my  representations.  There  was  a 
conspiracy  afoot  in  which,  I  could  not  help  feeling  cer 
tain,  the  young  man  was  involved.  And  yet  I  had  no 
right  to  be  certain  about  it  after  all,  for  my  theories  at 
best  were  only  suppositions.  Now  the  question  was, 
ought  I  to  warn  the  Duke  or  not?  If  I  did  I  might  be 
frightening  him  without  cause,  and  might  stop  his  son's 
journey ;  and  if  I  did  not,  and  things  went  wrong — well, 
in  that  case,  I  might  be  the  innocent  means  of  bringing 
a  great  and  lasting  sorrow  upon  his  house.  Hour  after 
hour  I  turned  this  question  over  and  over  in  my  mind, 
uncertain  how  to  act.  The  clocks  chimed  their  monoto 
nous  round,  the  noises  died  down  and  rose  again  in  the 
streets,  and  daylight  found  me  just  come  to  a  decision. 
I  would  not  tell  him ;  but  at  the  same  time  I  would 
make  doubly  sure  that  I  sailed  aboard  that  ship  myself, 
and  that  throughout  the  voyage  I  would  be  by  the  young 
man's  side  to  guard  him  from  all  ill. 

Breakfast  time  came  and  I  rose  from  my  bed  wearied 
with  thought.  Even  a  bath  failed  to  restore  my  spirits. 
I  went  downstairs  and,  crossing  the  hall  again,  examined 
the  rack.  Another  letter  awaited  me.  I  passed  into 
the  dining-room  and,  seating  myself  at  my  table,  ordered 
breakfast.  Having  done  so,  I  turned  to  my  correspond- 


I   MEET  DR.  NIKOLA  AGAIN.  H7 

ence.  Fate  seemed  to  pursue  me.  On  this  occasion 
the  letter  was  from  the  lad's  father,  the  Duke  of  Glen- 
barth  himself,  and  ran  as  follows : 

"  SAXDRIDGE  CASTLE,  BOURNEMOUTH,  August  3rd. 

"  DEAR  MR.  HATTERAS  :  My  son  tells  me  he  has  ac 
quainted  you  with  the  news  of  his  departure  for  Aus 
tralia  next  week.  I  don't  doubt  this  will  cause  you 
some  little  surprise ;  but  it  has  been  brought  about  by  a 
curious  combination  of  circumstances.  Two  days  ago  I 
received  a  letter  from  rny  old  friend,  the  Earl  of  Am- 
berley,  who,  as  you  know,  has  for  the  past  five  years 
been  Governor  of  the  colony  of  New  South  Wales,  tell 
ing  me  that  his  term  of  office  will  expire  in  four  months. 
Though  he  has  not  seen  my  boy  since  the  latter  was 
two  years  old,  I  am  anxious  that  he  should  be  at  the 
head  of  affairs  when  my  son  visits  the  colony.  Hence 
the  haste.  I  should  have  liked  nothing  better  than  to 
have  accompanied  him  myself,  but  business  of  the  ut 
most  importance  detains  me  in  England.  I  am  sending 
Mr.  Baxter  with  him,  with  powerful  credentials,  and  if 
it  should  be  in  your  power  to  do  anything  to  assist  them 
you  will  be  adding  materially  to  the  debt  of  gratitude  I 
already  owe  you. 

"  Believe  me,  my  dear  Mr.  Hatteras,  to  be, 
"  Very  truly  yours, 

"  GLENBARTH." 

My  breakfast  finished,  I  answered  both  these  letters, 
informed  them  of  my  contemplated  departure  by  the 
same  steamer,  and  promised  that  I  would  do  all  that  lay 
in  my  power  to  ensure  both  the  young  traveller's  pleas 
ure  and  safety. 

The  rest  of  the  morning  was  occupied  by  me  in  in- 


118  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

diting  a  letter  to  my  sweetheart,  informing  her  of  my 
return  to  the  Colonies,  and  telling  her  of  the  curious 
circumstances  that  had  occurred  since  her  departure. 

The  afternoon  was  spent  in  saying  good-bye  to  the 
few  business  friends  I  had  made  in  London,  and  in  the 
evening  I  went  for  the  last  time  to  a  theatre. 

Five  minutes  to  eleven  next  morning  found  me  at 
Waterloo  sitting  in  a  first-class  compartment  of  the 
West  of  England  express,  bound  for  Plymouth  and 
Australia.  Though  the  platform  was  crowded  to  excess, 
I  had  the  carriage  so  far  to  myself  and  was  about  to 
congratulate  myself  on  my  good  fortune,  when  a  por 
ter  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  deposited  a  bag  in  the 
opposite  corner.  A  moment  later,  and  just  as  the  train 
was  in  motion,  a  man  jumped  in  the  carriage,  tipped 
the  servant,  and  then  placed  a  basket  upon  the  rack. 
The  train  was  half-way  out  of  the  station  before  he 
turned  round,  and  my  suspicions  were  confirmed.  It 
was  Dr.  Nikola! 

Though  he  must  have  known  who  his  companion 
was,  he  affected  great  surprise. 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  cried,  "  I  think  this  is  the  most 
extraordinary  coincidence  I  have  ever  experienced  in  my 
life." 

"  Why  so  ?  "  I  asked.  "  You  knew  I  was  going  to 
Plymouth  to-day,  and  one  moment's  reflection  must 
have  told  you,  that  as  my  boat  sails  at  eight,  I  would  be 
certain  to  take  the  morning  express,  which  lands  me 
there  at  five.  Should  I  be  indiscreet  if  I  asked  where 
you  may  be  going  ?  " 

"  Like  yourself,  I  am  also  visiting  Plymouth,"  he 
answered,  taking  the  basket,  before  mentioned,  down 
from  the  rack,  and  drawing  a  French  novel  from  his 
coat  pocket.  "  I  expect  an  old  Indian  friend  home  by 


I  MEET  DR.  NIKOLA  AGAIN.  H9 

the  mail  boat  that  arrives  to-night.  I  am  going  down 
to  meet  him." 

I  felt  relieved  to  hear  that  he  was  not  thinking  of 
sailing  in  the  Saratoga,  and  after  a  few  polite  common 
places,  we  both  lapsed  into  silence.  I  was  suspicious, 
and  he  was  too  wary,  to  appear  over  friendly.  Clap- 
ham,  Wimbledon,  Surbiton,  came  and  went.  Wey- 
bridge  and  Woking  flashed  by  at  lightning  speed,  and 
even  Basingstoke  was  reached  before  we  spoke  again. 
That  station  behind  us,  Dr.  Nikola  took  the  basket  be 
fore  mentioned  on  his  knee,  and  opened  it.  When  he 
had  done  so,  the  same  enormous  black  cat,  whose  ac 
quaintance  I  had  made  in  the  East  India  Dock  Koad, 
stepped  proudly  forth.  In  the  daylight  the  brute  looked 
even  larger  and  certainly  fiercer  than  before.  I  felt  I 
should  have  liked  nothing  better  than  to  have  taken  it 
by  the  tail  and  hurled  it  out  of  the  window.  Nikola, 
on  the  other  hand,  seemed  to  entertain  for  it  the  most 
extraordinary  affection. 

Now,  such  was  this  marvellous  man's  power  of  fas 
cination  that  by  the  time  we  reached  Andover  Junc 
tion  his  conversation  had  roused  me  quite  out  of  my 
self,  had  made  me  forget  my  previous  distrust  of  him, 
and  enabled  me  to  tell  myself  that  this  railway  journey 
was  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  I  had  ever  undertaken. 

In  Salisbury  we  took  luncheon  baskets  on  board, 
with  two  bottles  of  champagne,  for  which  my  compan 
ion,  in  spite  of  my  vigorous  protest,  would  insist  upon 
paying. 

As  the  train  rolled  along  the  charming  valley,  in 
which  lie  the  miniature  towns  of  Wilton,  Dinton,  and 
Tisbury,  we  pledged  each  other  in  right  good  fellow 
ship,  and  by  the  time  Exeter  was  reached  would  have 
journeyed  round  the  world  together. 


120  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

Exeter  behind  us,  I  began  to  feel  drowsy,  and  before 
the  engine  came  to  a  standstill  at  Okehampton  was  fast 
asleep. 

I  remember  no  more  of  that  ill-fated  journey ;  nor, 
indeed,  have  I  any  recollection  of  anything  at  all,  until 
I  woke  up  in  Room  No.  3?  of  the  Ship  and  Vulture 
Hotel  in  Plymouth. 

The  sunshine  was  streaming  in  through  the  slats  of 
the  Venetian  blinds,  and  a  gentleman  with  a  dignified 
aspect,  a  rosy  face,  and  grey  hair  was  standing  by  my 
bedside,  holding  my  wrist  in  his  hand,  and  calmly  scru 
tinising  me.  A  nurse  in  hospital  dress  stood  beside 
him. 

"  I  think  he'll  do  now,"  he  said  to  her  as  he  rubbed 
his  plump  hands  together ;  "  but  I'll  look  round  in  the 
course  of  the  afternoon." 

"  One  moment,"  I  said  feebly,  for  I  found  I  was  too 
weak  almost  to  speak.  "  Would  you  mind  telling  me 
where  I  am,  and  what  is  the  matter  with  me  ?  " 

"  I  should  very  much  like  to  be  able  to,"  was  the 
doctor's  reply.  "  My  own  opinion  is,  if  you  want  me  to 
be  candid,  that  you  have  been  drugged  and  well-nigh 
poisoned,  in  a  remarkably  clever  manner.  But  what 
the  drug  and  the  poison  were,  and  who  administered  it 
to  you  and  their  motive,  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you. 
From  what  I  can  learn  from  the  hotel  proprietors  you 
were  brought  here  from  the  railway  station  in  a  cab  last 
night  by  a  gentleman  who  happened  to  find  you  in  the 
carriage  in  which  you  travelled  down  from  London. 
You  were  in  such  a  curious  condition  that  I  was  sent 
for  and  this  nurse  procured.  Now  you  know  all  about 
it." 

"  What  day  did  you  say  this  is  ?  " 

"  Saturday,  to  be  sure." 


I  MEET  DR.   NIKOLA  AGAIN.  121 

"  Saturday ! "  I  cried.  "  You  don't  mean  that ! 
Then,  by  Jove,  I've  missed  the  Saratoga  after  all. 
Here,  let  me  get  up  !  And  tell  them  downstairs  to  send 
for  the  Inspector  of  Police.  I  have  got  to  get  to  the 
bottom  of  this." 

I  sat  up  in  bed,  but  was  only  too  glad  to  lie  down 
again,  for  my  weakness  was  extraordinary.  I  looked  at 
the  doctor. 

"  How  long  before  you  can  have  me  fit  for  travel 
ling?" 

"  Give  yourself  three  days'  rest  and  quiet,"  he  replied, 
"  and  we'll  see  what  we  can  do." 

"  Three  days  ?  And  two  days  and  a  half  to  cross 
the  Continent,  that's  five  and  a  half — say  six  days. 
Good !  I'll  catch  the  boat  in  Naples,  and  then,  Dr.  Ni 
kola,  if  you're  aboard,  as  I  suspect,  I  should  advise  you 
to  look  out." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

POET   SAID   AND   WHAT  BEFELL   US  THERE. 

FORTUNATELY  for  me  my  arrangements  fitted  in 
exactly,  so  that  at  one  thirty  P.  M.,  on  the  seventh  day 
after  my  fatal  meeting  with  Dr.  Nikola  in  the  West  of 
England  express,  I  had  crossed  the  continent  and  stood 
looking  out  on  the  blue  waters  of  Naples  Bay.  To  my 
right  rose  the  hill  of  San  Martino,  behind  me  was  that 
of  Capo  di  Monte,  and  in  the  distance,  to  the  south 
ward,  the  cloud-tipped  summit  of  Vesuvius. 

The  journey  from  London  is  generally  considered,  I 
believe,  a  long  and  wearisome  one ;  it  certainly  proved 
so  to  me,  for  it  must  be  remembered  that  my  mind  was 
impatient  of  every  delay,  while  my  bodily  health  was 
not  as  yet  recovered  from  the  severe  strain  that  had 
been  put  upon  it. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  on  arrival  at  the  ter 
minus  was  to  discover  a  quiet  hotel ;  one  where  I  could 
rest  and  recoup  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  and  what 
was  perhaps  more  important,  a  place  where  I  should  run 
no  risk  of  meeting  with  Dr.  Nikola  or  his  satellites.  I 
had  originally  intended  calling  at  the  office  of  the 
steamship  company  in  order  to  explain  the  reason  of 
my  not  joining  the  boat  in  Plymouth,  planning  after 
wards  to  cast  about  me,  among  the  various  hotels,  for 
the  Marquis  of  Beckeuham  and  Mr.  Baxter.  But,  on 

122 


PORT  SAID  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  US  THERE.  123 

second  thoughts,  I  saw  the  wisdom  of  abandoning  both 
these  courses.  If  you  have  followed  the  thread  of  my 
narrative,  you  will  readily  understand  why  ! 

Nor  for  the  same  reason  did  I  feel  inclined  to  board 
the  steamer,  which  I  could  see  lying  out  in  the  harbour, 
until  darkness  fell.  I  ascertained,  however,  that  she 
was  due  to  sail  at  midnight,  and  that  the  mails  were 
already  being  got  aboard. 

Almost  exactly  as  eight  o'clock  was  striking,  I 
mounted  the  gangway,  and  strolled  down  the  prome 
nade  deck  to  the  first  saloon  entrance ;  then  calling  a 
steward  to  my  assistance,  I  had  my  baggage  conveyed 
to  my  cabin,  where  I  set  to  work  to  arrange  my  little 
knicknacks,  and  to  make  myself  comfortable  for  the 
five  weeks'  voyage  that  was  before  us.  So  far  I  had 
seen  nothing  of  my  friends,  and,  on  making  enquiries, 
I  discovered  that  they  had  not  yet  come  aboard.  In 
deed,  they  did  not  do  so  until  the  last  boat  had  dis 
charged  its  burden  at  the  gangway.  Then  I  met  Lord 
Beckenham  on  the  promenade  deck,  and  unaffected  was 
the  young  man's  delight  at  seeing  me. 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  cried,  running  forward  to  greet 
me  with  outstretched  hand,  "  this  was  all  that  was 
wanting  to  make  my  happiness  complete.  I  am  glad 
to  see  you.  I  hope  your  cabin  is  near  ours." 

"  I'm  on  the  port  side  just  abaft  the  pantry,"  I  an 
swered,  shaking  him  by  the  hand.  "  But  tell  me  about 
yourself.  I  expect  you  had  a  pleasant  journey  across 
the  continent." 

"  Delightful !  "  was  his  reply.  "  "We  stayed  a  day  in 
Paris,  and  another  in  Rome,  and  since  we  have  been 
here  we  have  been  rushing  about  seeing  everything, 
like  a  regulation  pair  of  British  tourists." 

At  this  moment  Mr.  Baxter,  who  had  been  looking 
9 


124:  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

after  the  luggage,  I  suppose,  made  his  appearance,  and 
greeted  me  with  more  cordiality  than  I  had  expected 
him  to  show.  To  my  intense  surprise,  however,  he  al 
lowed  no  sign  of  astonishment  to  escape  him  at  my  hav 
ing  joined  the  boat  after  all.  But  a  few  minutes  later, 
as  we  were  approaching  the  companion  steps,  he  said : 

"  I  understood  from  his  Lordship,  Mr.  Hatteras, 
that  you  were  to  embark  at  Plymouth ;  was  I  mistaken, 
therefore,  when  I  thought  I  saw  you  coming  off  with 
your  luggage  this  evening  ?  " 

"  No,  you  were  not  mistaken,"  I  answered,  being  able 
now  to  account  for  his  lack  of  surprise.  "  I  came  across 
the  continent  like  yourselves,  and  only  joined  her  a 
couple  of  hours  ago." 

Here  the  Marquis  chimed  in,  and  diverted  the  con 
versation  into  another  channel. 

"  Where  is  everybody?  "  he  asked,  when  Mr.  Baxter 
had  left  us  and  gone  below.  "  There  were  a  lot  of 
names  on  the  passenger  list,  and  yet  I  see  nobody 
about ! " 

"  They  are  all  in  bed,"  I  answered.  "  It  is  getting 
late,  you  see,  and  if  I  mistake  not,  we  shall  be  under 
way  in  a  few  minutes." 

"  Then,  I  think,  if  you'll  excuse  me  for  a  few  mo 
ments,  I'll  go  below  to  my  cabin.  I  expect  Mr.  Baxter 
will  be  wondering  where  I  am." 

When  he  had  left  me  I  turned  to  the  bulwarks  and 
stood  looking  across  the  water  at  the  gleaming  lights 
ashore.  One  by  one  the  boats  alongside  pushed  off, 
and  from  the  sounds  that  reached  me  from  for'ard,  I 
gathered  that  the  anchor  was  being  got  aboard.  Five 
minutes  later  we  had  swung  round  to  our  course  and 
were  facing  to  the  open  sea.  For  the  first  mile  or  so 
my  thoughts  chased  each  other  in  rapid  succession. 


PORT  SAID   AND  WHAT  BEFELL   US  THERE.  125 

You  must  remember  that  it  was  in  Naples  I  had  learnt 
that  my  darling  loved  me,  and  it  was  in  Naples  now 
that  I  was  bidding  good-bye  to  Europe  and  to  all  the 
strange  events  that  had  befallen  me  there.  I  leant 
upon  the  rail,  looked  at  the  fast  receding  country  in  our 
wake,  at  old  Vesuvius,  fire-capped,  away  to  port,  at  the 
Great  Bear  swinging  in  the  heavens  to  the  nor'ard,  and 
then  thought  of  the  Southern  Cross  which,  before  many 
weeks  were  passed,  would  be  lifting  its  head  above  our 
bows  to  welcome  me  back  to  the  sunny  land  and  to  the 
girl  I  loved  so  well.  Somehow  I  felt  glad  that  the  trip 
was  over,  and  that  I  was  really  on  my  way  home  at  last. 

The  steamer  ploughed  her  almost  silent  course,  and 
three  quarters  of  an  hour  later  we  were  abreast  of  Capri. 
As  I  was  looking  at  it,  Lord  Beckenham  came  down  the 
deck  and  stood  beside  me.  His  first  speech  told  me 
that  he  was  still  under  the  influence  of  his  excitement ; 
indeed,  he  spoke  in  rapturous  terms  of  the  enjoyment 
he  expected  to  derive  from  his  tour. 

"  But  are  you  sure  you  will  be  a  good  sailor  ?  "  I 
asked. 

"  Oh,  I  have  no  fear  of  that,"  he  answered  confident 
ly.  "  As  you  know,  I  have  been  out  in  my  boat  in  some 
pretty  rough  weather  and  never  felt  in  the  least  ill,  so  I 
don't  think  it  is  likely  that  I  shall  begin  to  be  a  bad 
sailor  on  a  vessel  the  size  of  the  Saratoga.  By  the  way, 
when  are  we  due  to  reach  Port  Said  ?  " 

"  Next  Thursday  afternoon,  I  believe,  if  all  goes 
well." 

"  Will  you  let  me  go  ashore  with  you  if  you  go  ?  I 
don't  want  to  bother  you,  but  after  all  you  have  told  me 
about  the  place,  I  should  like  to  see  it  in  your  com 
pany." 

"  I'll  take  you  with  pleasure,"  I  answered,  "  provided 


126  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Mr.  Baxter  gives  his  consent.  I  suppose  we  must  re 
gard  him  as  skipper." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  we  need  fear  his  refusing.  He 
is  very  good-natured,  you  know,  and  lets  me  have  my 
own  way  a  good  deal." 

"  Where  is  he  now  ?  " 

"  Down  below,  asleep.  He  has  had  a  lot  of  running 
about  to-day  and  thought  he  would  turn  in  before  we 
got  under  way.  I  think  I  had  better  be  going  now. 
Good  night." 

"  Good  night,"  I  answered,  and  he  left  me  again. 

When  I  was  alone  I  returned  again  to  my  thoughts 
of  Phyllis  and  the  future,  and  as  soon  as  my  pipe  was 
finished,  went  below  to  my  bunk.  My  berth  mate  I  had 
discovered  earlier  in  the  evening  was  a  portly  English 
merchant  of  the  old  school,  who  was  visiting  his  agents 
in  Australia;  and  from  the  violence  of  his  snores,  I 
should  judge  had  not  much  trouble  on  his  mind.  For 
tunately  mine  was  the  lower  bunk,  and,  when  I  had  un 
dressed,  I  turned  into  it  to  sleep  like  a  top  until  roused 
by  the  bath-room  steward  at  half-past  seven  next  morn 
ing.  After  a  good  bathe  I  went  back  to  my  cabin  and 
set  to  work  to  dress.  My  companion  by  this  time  was 
awake,  but  evidently  not  much  inclined  for  conversation. 
His  usual  jovial  face,  it  struck  me,  was  not  as  rosy  as 
when  I  had  made  his  acquaintance  the  night  before,  and 
from  certain  signs  I  judged  that  his  good  spirits  were 
more  than  half  assumed. 

All  this  time  a  smart  sea  was  running,  and,  I  must 
own,  the  Saratoga  was  rolling  abominably. 

"A  very  good  morning  to  you,  my  dear  sir,"  my 
cabin  mate  said,  with  an  air  of  enjoyment  his  pallied 
face  belied,  as  I  entered  the  berth.  "  Pray  how  do  you 
feel  to-day?" 


PORT  SAID  AND  WHAT  BEFELL   US  THERE.  127 

"  In  first-class  form,"  I  replied,  "  and  as  hungry  as  a 
hunter." 

He  laid  himself  back  on  his  pillow  with  a  remark 
that  sounded  very  much  like  "  Oh  dear,"  and  thereafter 
I  was  suffered  to  shave  and  complete  my  toilet  in  silence. 
Having  done  so  I  put  on  my  cap  and  went  on  deck. 

It  was  indeed  a  glorious  morning ;  bright  sunshine 
streamed  upon  the  decks,  the  sea  was  a  glorious  blue, 
and  so  clear  was  the  air  that,  miles  distant  though  it  was 
from  us,  the  Italian  coast-line  could  be  plainly  discerned 
above  the  port  bulwarks.  By  this  time  I  had  cross-ex 
amined  the  chief  steward,  and  satisfied  myself  that  Ni 
kola  was  not  aboard.  His  absence  puzzled  me  consider 
ably.  Was  it  possible  that  I  could  have  been  mistaken 
in  the  whole  affair,  and  that  Baxter's  motives  were  hon 
est  after  all  ?  But  in  that  case  why  had  Nikola  drugged 
me  ?  And  why  had  he  warned  me  against  sailing  in  the 
Saratoga  ?  The  better  to  think  it  out  I  set  myself  for 
a  vigorous  tramp  round  the  hurricane  deck,  and  was 
still  revolving  the  matter  in  my  mind,  when,  on  turn 
ing  the  corner  by  the  smoking-room  entrance,  I  found 
myself  face  to  face  with  Baxter  himself.  As  soon  as  he 
saw  me,  he  came  smiling  towards  me,  holding  out  his 
hand. 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  said  briskly ; 
"  what  a  delightful  morning  it  is,  to  be  sure.  You  can 
not  tell  how  much  I  am  enjoying  it.  The  sea  air  seems 
to  have  made  a  new  man  of  me  already." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it.  And  pray  how  is  your 
charge  ?  "  I  asked,  more  puzzled  than  ever  by  this  dis 
play  of  affability. 

"  Not  at  all  well,  I  am  sorry  to  say." 

"  Not  well  ?  You  don't  surely  mean  to  say  that  he 
is  sea-sick  ?  " 


128  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  say  I  do.  He  was  quite  well  until  he 
got  out  of  his  bunk  half  an  hour  ago.  Then  a  sudden, 
but  violent,  fit  of  nausea  seized  him,  and  drove  him  back 
to  bed  again." 

"  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  it,  but  I  hope  he  will  be 
better  soon.  He  would  have  been  one  of  the  last  men  I 
should  have  expected  to  be  bowled  over.  Are  you  com 
ing  for  a  turn  round  ?  " 

"  I  shall  feel  honoured,"  he  answered,  and  thereupon 
we  set  off,  step  for  step,  for  a  constitutional  round  the 
deck.  By  the  time  we  had  finished  it  was  nine  o'clock, 
and  the  saloon  gong  had  sounded  for  breakfast. 

The  meal  over,  I  repaired  to  the  Marquis'  cabin,  and 
having  knocked,  was  bidden  enter.  I  found  My  Lord 
in  bed,  retching  violently ;  his  complexion  was  the  col 
our  of  zinc,  his  hands  were  cold  and  clammy,  and  after 
every  spasm  his  face  streamed  with  perspiration. 

"  I'm  indeed  sorry  to  see  you  like  this,"  I  said,  bend 
ing  over  him.  "  How  do  you  feel  now  ?  " 

"  Very  bad  indeed ! "  he  answered  with  a  groan.  "  I 
cannot  understand  it  at  all.  Before  I  got  out  of  bed 
this  morning  I  felt  as  well  as  possible.  Then  Mr.  Bax 
ter  was  kind  enough  to  bring  me  a  cup  of  coffee,  and 
within  five  minutes  of  drinking  it,  I  was  obliged  to  go 
back  to  bed  feeling  hopelessly  sick  and  miserable." 

"  Well,  you  must  try  and  get  round  as  soon  as  you 
can,  and  come  on  deck ;  there's  a  splendid  breeze  blow 
ing,  and  you'll  find  that'll  clear  the  sickness  out  of  you 
before  you  know  where  you  are." 

But  his  only  reply  was  another  awful  fit  of  sickness, 
that  made  as  if  it  would  tear  his  very  chest  asunder. 
While  he  was  under  the  influence  of  it,  his  tutor  en 
tered,  and  set  about  ministering  to  him  with  a  care  and 
fatherly  tenderness  that  even  deceived  me.  I  can  see 


PORT  SAID  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  US  THERE.  129 

things  more  plainly  now,  on  looking  back  at  them,  than 
I  could  then,  but  I  must  own  that  Baxter's  behaviour 
towards  the  boy  that  morning  was  of  a  kind  that  would 
have  hoodwinked  the  very  Master  of  All  Lies  himself. 
I  could  easily  understand  now  how  this  man  had  come 
to  have  such  an  influence  over  the  kindly  natured  Duke 
of  Glenbarth,  who,  when  all  was  said  and  done,  could 
have  had  but  small  experience  of  men  of  Baxter's  type. 

Seeing  that,  instead  of  helping,  I  was  only  in  the 
way,  I  expressed  a  hope  that  the  patient  would  soon  be 
himself  again,  and  returned  to  the  deck. 

Lunch  time  came,  and  still  Lord  Beckenham  was 
unable  to  leave  his  berth.  In  the  evening  he  was  no 
better.  The  following  morning  he  was,  if  anything, 
stronger ;  but  towards  midday,  just  as  he  was  thinking 
of  getting  up,  his  nausea  returned  upon  him,  and  he 
was  obliged  to  postpone  the  attempt.  On  Wednesday 
there  was  no  improvement,  and,  indeed,  it  was  not  until 
Thursday  afternoon,  when  the  low-lying  coast  of  Port 
Said  was  showing  above  the  sea-line,  that  he  felt  in 
any  way  fit  to  leave  his  bunk.  In  all  my  experience  of 
sea-sickness,  I  had  never  known  a  more  extraordinary 
case. 

It  was  almost  dark  before  we  dropped  our  anchor  off 
the  town,  and  as  soon  as  we  were  at  a  standstill  I  went 
below  to  my  friend's  cabin.  He  was  sitting  on  the  lock 
er  fully  dressed. 

"  Port  Said,"  I  announced.  "  Now,  how  do  you  feel 
about  going  ashore  ?  Myself,  I  don't  think  you  had 
better  try  it." 

"  Oh  !  but  I  want  to  go.  I  have  been  looking  for 
ward  to  it  so  much.  I  am  much  stronger  than  I  was, 
believe  me,  and  Mr.  Baxter  doesn't  think  it  could  possi 
bly  hurt  me." 


130  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  If  you  don't  tire  yourself  too  much,"  that  gentle 
man  put  in. 

"  Very  well,  then,"  I  said.  "  In  that  case  I'm  your 
man.  There  are  plenty  of  boats  alongside,  so  we'll  have 
no  difficulty  on  that  score.  Won't  you  come,  too,  Mr. 
Baxter?" 

"  I  think  not,  thank  you,"  he  answered.  "  Port  Said 
is  not  a  place  of  which  I  am  very  fond,  and  as  we  shall 
not  have  much  time  here,  I  am  anxious  to  utilise  our 
stay  in  writing  His  Grace  a  letter  detailing  our  progress 
so  far." 

"  In  that  case  I  think  we  had  better  be  going,"  I  said, 
turning  to  his  lordship. 

"We  made  our  way  on  deck,  and,  after  a  little  chaffer 
ing,  secured  a  boat,  in  which  we  were  pulled  ashore. 
Having  arrived  there,  we  were  immediately  beset  by  the 
usual  crowd  of  beggars  and  donkey  boys,  but  withstand 
ing  their  importunities,  we  turned  into  the  Eue  de  Com 
merce  and  made  our  way  inland.  To  my  companion  the 
crowded  streets,  the  diversity  of  nationalities  and  cos 
tume,  and  the  strange  variety  of  shops  and  wares,  were 
matters  of  absorbing  interest.  This  will  be  the  better 
understood  when  it  is  remembered  that,  poor  though 
Port  Said  is  in  orientalism,  it  was  nevertheless  the  first 
Eastern  port  he  had  encountered.  We  had  both  a  few 
purchases  to  make,  and  this  business  satisfactorily  ac 
complished,  we  hired  a  guide  and  started  off  to  see  the 
sights. 

Passing  out  of  the  Rue  de  Commerce,  our  attention 
was  attracted  to  a  lame  young  beggar  who,  leaning  on 
his  crutches,  blocked  our  way  while  he  recited  his  dismal 
catalogue  of  woes.  Our  guide  bade  him  be  off,  and  in 
deed  I  was  not  sorry  to  be  rid  of  him,  but  I  could  see,  by 
glancing  at  his  face,  that  my  companion  had  taken  his 


PORT  SAID  AND   WHAT  BEFELL  US  THERE.  131 

case  more  seriously.  In  fact  we  had  not  proceeded  more 
than  twenty  yards  before  he  asked  me  to  wait  a  moment 
for  him,  and  taking  to  his  heels  ran  back  to  the  spot 
where  we  had  left  him.  When  he  rejoined  us  I  said  : 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you  gave  that  rascal  some 
thing?" 

"  Only  half  a  sovereign,"  he  answered.  "  Perhaps 
you  didn't  hear  the  pitiful  story  he  told  us  ?  His  father 
is  dead,  and  now,  if  it  were  not  for  his  begging,  his 
mother  and  five  young  sisters  would  all  be  starving." 

I  asked  our  guide  if  he  knew  the  man,  and  whether 
this  tale  were  true. 

"  No,  monsieur,"  he  replied  promptly,  "  it  is  all  one 
big  lie.  His  father  is  in  the  jail,  and,  if  she  had  her 
rights,  his  mother  would  be  there  too." 

Not  another  word  was  said  on  the  subject,  but  I 
could  see  that  the  boy's  generous  heart  had  been  hurt. 
He  little  knew  how  great  an  effect  that  little  outburst  of 
generosity  was  to  have  upon  us  later  on. 

At  our  guide's  suggestion,  we  passed  from  the  com 
mercial,  through  the  European  quarter,  to  a  large 
mosque  situated  in  Arab  Town.  It  was  a  long  walk, 
but  we  were  promised  that  we  should  see  something 
there  that  would  amply  compensate  us  for  any  trouble 
we  might  be  put  to  to  reach  it.  This  turned  out  to  be 
the  case,  but  hardly  in  the  fashion  he  had  predicted. 

The  mosque  was  certainly  a  fine  building,  and  at  the 
time  of  our  visit  was  thronged  with  worshippers.  They 
knelt  in  two  long  lines,  reaching  from  end  to  end,  their 
feet  were  bare,  and  their  heads  turned  towards  the  east. 
By  our  guide's  instructions  we  removed  our  boots  at  the 
entrance,  but  fortunately,  seeing  what  was  to  transpire 
later,  took  the  precaution  to  carry  them  into  the  build 
ing  with  us.  From  the  main  hall  we  passed  into  a 


132  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

smaller  one,  where  a  number  of  Egyptian  standards, 
relics  of  the  war  of  '82,  were  unrolled  for  our  inspec 
tion.  While  we  were  examining  them,  our  guide,  who 
had  for  a  moment  left  us,  returned  with  a  scared  face  to 
inform  us  that  there  were  a  number  of  English  tourists 
in  the  mosque  who  had  refused  to  take  their  boots  off, 
and  were  evidently  bent  on  making  trouble.  As  he 
spoke  the  ominous  hum  of  angry  voices  drifted  in  to 
us,  increasing  in  volume  as  we  listened.  Our  guide 
pricked  up  his  ears  and  looked  anxiously  at  the  door. 

"  There  will  be  trouble  directly,"  he  said  solemnly, 
"  if  those  young  men  do  not  behave  themselves.  If 
messieurs  will  be  guided  by  me,  they  will  be  going.  I 
can  show  them  the  backway  out." 

For  a  moment  I  felt  inclined  to  follow  his  advice, 
but  Beckenham's  next  speech  decided  me  to  stay. 

"  You  will  not  go  away  and  leave  those  stupid  fellows 
to  be  killed  ? "  he  said,  moving  towards  the  door  into 
the  mosque.  "  However  foolish  they  may  have  been, 
they're  still  our  countrymen,  and  whatever  happens  we 
ought  to  stand  by  them." 

"  If  you  think  so,  of  course,  we  will,"  I  answered, 
"  but  remember  it  may  cost  us  our  lives.  You  still  want 
to  stay  ?  Very  good,  then,  come  along,  but  stick  close 
to  me." 

We  left  the  small  ante-room,  in  which  we  had  been 
examining  the  flags  and  passed  back  into  the  mosque 
itself.  Here  an  extraordinary  scene  presented  itself. 

In  the  furthest  corner,  completely  hemmed  in  by  a 
crowd  of  furious  Arabs,  were  three  young  Englishmen, 
whose  faces  plainly  showed  how  well  they  understood 
the  dangerous  position  into  which  their  own  impudence 
and  folly  had  drawn  them. 

Elbowing  our  way  through  the  crowd,  we  reached 


PORT   SAID  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  US  THERE.  133 

their  side  and  immediately  called  upon  them  to  push 
their  way  towards  the  big  doors ;  but  before  this  ma- 
noBuvre  could  be  executed,  someone  had  given  an  order 
in  Arabic  and  we  were  all  borne  back  against  the  wall. 

"  There  is  no  hope  for  it ! "  I  cried  to  the  biggest  of 
the  strangers.  "  We  must  fight  our  way  out.  Choose 
your  men  and  come  along." 

So  saying,  I  gave  the  man  nearest  me  one  under  the 
jaw  to  remember  me  by,  which  laid  him  on  his  back} 
and  then,  having  room  to  use  my  arms,  sent  down  an 
other  to  keep  him  company.  All  this  time  my  compan 
ions  were  not  idle,  and  to  my  surprise  I  saw  the  young 
Marquis  laying  about  him  with  a  science  that  I  had  to 
own  afterwards  did  credit  to  his  education.  Our  assail 
ants  evidently  did  not  expect  to  meet  with  this  resist 
ance,  for  they  gave  way  and  began  to  back  towards  the 
door.  One  or  two  of  them  drew  knives,  but  the  space 
was  too  cramped  for  them  to  do  much  harm  with  them. 

"One  more  rush,"  I  cried,  "and  we'll  turn  them 
out." 

We  made  the  rush,  and  next  moment  the  doors  were 
closed  and  barred  on  the  last  of  them.  This  done,  we 
paused  to  consider  our  position.  True,  we  had  driven 
the  enemy  from  the  citadel,  but  then  we  ourselves,  unless 
we  could  find  a  means  of  escape,  were  equally  prisoners 
in  it.  What  was  to  be  done?  Why,  as  you  will  say, 
look  for  a  means  of  escape  ! 

Leaving  three  of  our  party  to  guard  the  doors,  the 
remainder  searched  the  adjoining  rooms;  but  though 
we  were  unsuccessful  in  our  attempt  to  find  an  exit,  we 
did  what  was  the  next  best  thing  to  it,  discovered  our 
cowardly  guide  in  a  corner,  skulking  in  a  curious  sort  of 
cupboard. 

By  the  time  we  had  proved  to  him  that  the  enemy 


134  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

were  really  driven  out,  and  that  we  had  obtained  posses 
sion  of  the  mosque,  he  recovered  his  wits  a  little,  and 
managed,  after  hearing  our  promise  to  throw  him  to  the 
mob  outside  unless  he  discovered  a  means  of  escape  for 
us,  to  cudgel  his  brains  and  announce  that  he  knew  of 
one. 

No  sooner  did  we  hear  this,  than  we  resolved  to  profit 
by  it.  The  mob  outside-  was  growing  every  moment 
noisier,  and  from  the  clang  of  steel-shod  rifle  butts  on 
the  stone  steps  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  serv 
ices  of  a  force  of  soldiery  had  been  called  in.  The  situ 
ation  was  critical,  and  twice  imperious  demands  were 
made  upon  us  to  open  the  door.  But,  as  may  be  sup 
posed,  this  we  did  not  feel  inclined  to  do. 

"  Now,  for  your  way  out,"  I  said,  taking  our  trem 
bling  guide,  whose  face  seemed  to  blanch  whiter  and 
whiter  with  every  knock  upon  the  door,  by  the  shoul 
ders,  and  giving  him  a  preliminary  shake.  "  Mind 
what  you're  about,  and  remember,  if  you  lead  us  into 
any  trap,  I'll  wring  your  miserable  neck,  as  sure  as 
you're  alive.  Go  ahead." 

Collecting  our  boots  and  shoes,  which,  throughout 
the  tumult,  had  been  lying  scattered  about  upon  the 
floor,  we  passed  into  the  ante-room,  and  put  them  on. 
Then  creeping  softly  out  by  another  door,  we  reached 
a  small  courtyard  in  the  rear,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by 
high  walls.  Our  way,  so  our  guide  informed  us,  lay 
over  these.  But  how  we  were  to  surmount  them  was  a 
puzzle,  for  the  lowest  scaling  place  was  at  least  twelve 
feet  high.  However,  the  business  had  to  be  done,  and, 
what  was  more  to  the  point,  done  quickly. 

Calling  the  strongest  of  the  tourists,  who  were  by 
this  time  all  quite  sober,  to  my  side,  I  bade  him  stoop 
down  as  if  he  were  bent  on  leap-frog ;  then,  mounting 


PORT  SAID  AND  WHAT  BEFELL  US  THERE.  135 

his  back  myself,  I  stood  upright,  and  stretched  my  arms 
above  my  head.  To  my  delight  my  fingers  reached  to 
within  a  few  inches  of  the  top  of  the  wall. 

"  Stand  as  steady  as  you  can,"  I  whispered,  "  for  I'm 
going  to  jump." 

I  did  so,  and  clutched  the  edge.  Now,  if  anybody 
thinks  it  an  easy  thing  to  pull  oneself  to  the  top  of  the 
wall  in  that  fashion,  let  him  try  it,  and  I  fancy  he'll 
discover  his  mistake.  I  only  know  I  found  it  a  harder 
business  than  I  had  anticipated,  so  much  so  that  when 
I  reached  the  top  I  was  so  completely  exhausted  as  to 
be  unable  to  do  anything  for  more  than  a  minute. 
Then  I  whispered  to  another  man  to  climb  upon  the 
first  man's  back,  and  stretch  his  hands  up  to  mine.  He 
did  so,  and  I  pulled  him  up  beside  me.  The  guide 
came  next,  then  the  other  tourist,  then  Lord  Becken- 
ham.  After  which  I  took  off  and  lowered  my  coat  to 
the  man  who  had  stood  for  us  all,  and  having  done  so, 
took  a  firm  grip  of  the  wall  with  my  legs,  and  dragged 
him  up  as  I  had  done  the  others. 

It  had  been  a  longer  business  than  I  liked,  and 
every  moment  while  we  were  about  it  I  had  expected  to 
hear  the  cries  of  the  mob  inside  the  mosque,  and  to  find 
them  pouring  into  the  yard  to  prevent  our  escape.  The 
bolts  on  the  door,  however,  must  have  been  possessed  of 
greater  strength  than  we  gave  them  credit  for.  At  any 
rate,  they  did  not  give  way. 

When  we  were  all  safely  on  the  wall,  I  asked  the 
guide  in  which  direction  we  were  to  proceed  now ;  he 
pointed  to  the  adjoining  roofs,  and  in  Indian  file,  and 
with  the  stealthiness  of  cats,  we  accordingly  crept  across 
them. 

The  third  house  surmounted,  we  found  ourselves 
overlooking  a  narrow  alley,  into  which  we  first  peered 


136  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

carefully,  and  having  discovered  that  no  one  was  about, 
eventually  dropped. 

"  Now,"  said  the  guide,  as  soon  as  we  were  down, 
"  we  must  run  along  here,  and  turn  to  the  left." 

We  did  so,  to  find  ourselves  in  a  broader  street, 
which  eventually  brought  us  out  into  the  thoroughfare 
through  which  we  had  passed  to  reach  the  mosque. 

Having  got  our  bearings  now,  we  headed  for  the  har 
bour,  or  at  least  for  that  part  of  the  town  with  which  I 
was  best  acquainted,  as  fast  as  our  legs  would  carry  us. 
But,  startling  as  they  had  been,  we  had  not  yet  done 
with  adventures  for  the  night. 

Once  in  the  security  of  the  gaslit  streets,  we  said 
good-bye  to  the  men  who  had  got  us  into  all  the  trouble, 
and  having  come  to  terms  with  our  guide,  packed  him 
off  and  proceeded  upon  our  way  alone. 

Five  minutes  later  the  streaming  lights  of  an  open 
doorway  brought  us  to  a  standstill,  and  one  glance  told 
us  we  were  looking  into  the  Casino.  The  noise  of  the 
roulette  tables  greeted  our  ears,  and  as  we  had  still 
plenty  of  time,  and  my  companion  was  not  tired,  I 
thought  it  a  good  opportunity  for  showing  him  another 
phase  of  the  seamy  side  of  life. 

And  here  I  must  chronicle  a  curious  circumstance. 
As  we  were  entering  the  building,  something,  I  cannot 
tell  what,  impelled  me  to  look  round.  I  did  so,  and  to 
my  intense  astonishment  saw,  or  believed  I  saw,  Dr. 
Nikola  standing  in  the  street,  regarding  me.  Bidding 
my  companion  remain  where  he  was  for  a  moment,  I 
dashed  out  again  and  ran  towards  the  place  where  I  had 
seen  the  figure.  But  I  was  too  late.  If  it  was  Dr. 
Nikola,  he  had  vanished  as  suddenly  as  he  had  come. 
I  hunted  here,  there,  and  everywhere,  in  doorways, 
under  verandahs,  and  down  lanes,  but  it  was  no  use, 


PORT  SAID  AND   WHAT  BEFELL  US  THERE.  137 

not  a  trace  of  him  could  I  discover.  So  abandoning  my 
search,  I  returned  to  the  Casino.  Beckenham  was  wait 
ing  for  me,  and  together  we  entered  the  building. 

The  room  was  packed,  and  all  the  tables  were 
crowded,  but  as  we  did  not  intend  playing,  this  was  a 
matter  of  small  concern  to  us.  We  were  more  inter 
ested  in  the  players  than  the  game.  And,  indeed,  the 
expressions  on  the  faces  around  us  were  extraordinary. 
On  some  hope  still  showed  uppermost,  on  others  a  hag 
gard  despair  seemed  to  have  laid  its  grisly  hand ;  on  all 
was  imprinted  the  lust  and  greed  of  gain.  The  effect 
on  the  young  man  by  my  side  was  peculiar.  He  looked 
from  face  to  face,  as  if  he  were  observing  the  peculiari 
ties  of  some  strange  animals.  I  watched  him,  and  then 
I  saw  his  expression  suddenly  change. 

Following  the  direction  of  his  eyes,  I  observed  a 
young  man  putting  down  his  stake  upon  the  board.  His 
face  was  hidden  from  me,  but  by  taking  a  step  to  the 
right  I  could  command  it.  It  was  none  other  than  the 
young  cripple  who  had  represented  his  parents  to  be  in 
such  poverty-stricken  circumstances ;  the  same  young 
man  whom  Beckenham  had  assisted  so  generously  only 
two  hours  before.  As  we  looked,  he  staked  his  last  coin, 
and  that  being  lost,  turned  to  leave  the  building.  To 
do  this,  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  pass  close  by 
where  we  stood.  Then  his  eyes  met  those  of  his  bene 
factor,  and  with  a  look  of  what  might  almost  have  been 
shame  upon  his  face,  he  slunk  down  the  steps  and  from 
the  building. 

"  Come,  let  us  get  out  of  this  place,"  cried  my  com 
panion  impatiently,  "  I  believe  I  should  go  mad  if  I 
stayed  here  long." 

Thereupon  we  passed  out  into  the  street,  and  with 
out  further  ado  proceeded  in  the  direction  in  which  I 


138  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

imagined  the  Saratoga  to  lie.  A  youth  of  about  eight 
een  summers  requested,  in  broken  English,  to  be  per 
mitted  the  honour  of  piloting  us,  but  as  I  felt  confident 
of  being  able  to  find  my  way  I  declined  his  services. 

For  fully  a  quarter  of  an  hour  we  plodded  on  and  on 
until  I  began  to  wonder  why  the  harbour  did  not  heave 
in  sight.  It  was  a  queer  part  of  the  town  we  found  our 
selves  in ;  the  houses  were  growing  perceptibly  meaner 
and  the  streets  narrower.  At  last  I  felt  bound  to  con 
fess  that  I  was  out  of  my  reckoning,  and  did  not  know 
where  we  were. 

"  What  are  we  to  do  ?  "  asked  My  Lord,  looking  at 
his  watch.  "  It's  twenty  minutes  to  eleven,  and  I  prom 
ised  Mr.  Baxter  I  would  not  be  later  than  the  hour." 

"  What  an  idiot  I  was  not  to  take  that  guide ! " 

The  words  were  hardly  out  of  my  mouth  before  that 
selfsame  person  appeared  round  the  corner  and  came 
towards  us.  I  hailed  his  coming  with  too  much  delight 
to  notice  the  expression  of  malignant  satisfaction  on  his 
face,  and  gave  him  the  name  of  the  vessel  we  desired  to 
find.  He  appeared  to  understand  exactly,  and  the  next 
moment  we  were  marching  off  under  his  guidance  in  an 
exactly  contrary  direction. 

We  must  have  walked  for  at  least  ten  minutes  with 
out  speaking  a  word.  The  streets  were  still  small  and 
ill-favoured,  but  I  argued  that  as  this  was  probably  a 
short  cut,  such  minor  drawbacks  were  not  worth  con 
sidering. 

From  one  small  and  dirty  street  we  turned  into 
another  and  broader  one.  By  this  time  not  a  soul  was 
to  be  seen,  only  a  vagrant  dog  or  two  lying  asleep  in  the 
road.  In  this  portion  of  the  town  gas  lamps  seemed  to 
be  at  a  discount,  consequently,  despite  the  fact  that  it 
was  almost  full  moon,  more  than  half  the  streets  lay  in 


PORT  SAID  AND  WHAT   BEFELL  US  THERE.  139 

deep  shadow.  Our  guide  walked  ahead,  we  followed 
half-a-dozen  paces  or  so  behind  him.  I  remember  no 
ticing  a  Greek  cognomen  upon  a  signboard,  and  recalling 
a  similar  name  in  Thursday  Island,  when  something  very 
much  resembling  a  thin  cord  touched  my  nose  and  fell 
over  my  chin.  Before  I  could  put  my  hand  up  to  it  it 
had  begun  to  tighten  round  my  throat.  Just  at  the 
same  moment  I  heard  my  companion  utter  a  sharp  cry, 
and  after  that  I  remember  no  more. 


10 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

OUR   IMPRISONMENT  AND   ATTEMPT  AT  ESCAPE. 

FOR  what  length  of  time  I  lay  unconscious  after 
hearing  Beckenham's  cry,  and  feeling  the  cord  tighten 
round  my  throat,  as  narrated  in  the  preceding  chapter,  I 
have  not  the  remotest  idea ;  I  only  know  that  when  my 
senses  returned  to  me  again  I  found  myself  in  complete 
darkness.  The  cord  was  gone  from  my  neck,  it  is  true, 
but  something  was  still  encircling  it  in  a  highly  un 
pleasant  fashion.  On  putting  iny  hand  up  to  it,  to  my 
intense  astonishment,  I  discovered  it  to  be  a  collar  of 
iron,  padlocked  at  the  side,  and  communicating  with  a 
wall  at  the  back  by  means  of  a  stout  chain  fixed  in  a 
ring,  which  again  was  attached  to  a  swivel. 

This  ominous  discovery  set  me  hunting  about  to  find 
out  where  I  was  and  for  a  clue  as  to  what  these  things 
might  mean.  That  I  was  in  a  room  was  evident  from 
the  fact  that,  by  putting  my  hands  behind  me,  I  could 
touch  two  walls  forming  a  corner.  But  in  what  part  of 
the  town  such  room  might  be  was  beyond  my  telling. 
One  thing  was  evident,  however,  the  walls  were  of  brick, 
unplastered  and  quite  innocent  of  paper. 

As  not  a  ray  of  light  relieved  the  darkness  I  put  my 
hand  into  my  ticket  pocket,  where  I  was  accustomed  to 
carry  matches,  and  finding  that  my  captors  had  not  de 
prived  me  of  them,  lit  one  and  looked  about  me.  It 

140 


OUR  IMPRISONMENT  AND  ATTEMPT  AT  ESCAPE. 

• 

was  a  dismal  scene  that  little  gleam  illumined.  The 
room  in  which  I  was  confined  was  a  small  one,  being 
only  about  ten  feet  long  by  eight  wide,  while,  if  I  had 
been  able  to  stand  upright,  I  might  have  raised  my  hand 
within  two  or  three  inches  of  the  ceiling.  In  the  furthest 
left-hand  corner  was  a  door,  while  in  the  wall  on  the 
right,  but  hopelessly  beyond  my  reach,  was  a  low  window 
almost  completely  boarded  up.  I  had  no  opportunity 
of  seeing  more,  for  by  the  time  I  had  realised  these  facts 
the  match  had  burnt  down  to  my  fingers.  I  blew  it  out 
and  hastened  to  light  another. 

Just  as  I  did  so  a  low  moan  reached  my  ear.  It 
came  from  the  further  end  of  the  room.  Again  I  held 
the  match  aloft ;  this  time  to  discover  a  huddled-up  fig 
ure  in  the  comer  opposite  the  door.  One  glance  at  it 
told  me  that  it  was  none  other  than  my  young  friend 
the  Marquis  of  Beckenham.  He  was  evidently  still  un 
conscious,  for  though  I  called  him  twice  by  name,  he 
did  not  answer,  but  continued  in  the  same  position, 
moaning  softly  as  before.  I  had  only  time  for  a  hurried 
glance  at  him  before  my  last  match  burned  down  to  my 
fingers,  and  had  to  be  extinguished.  With  the  depart 
ure  of  the  light  a  return  of  faintness  seized  me,  and  I 
fell  back  into  my  corner,  if  not  thoroughly  insensible, 
certainly  unconscious  of  the  immediate  awkwardness  of 
our  position. 

It  was  daylight  when  my  power  of  thinking  returned 
to  me,  and  long  shafts  of  sunshine  were  percolating  into 
us  through  the  chinks  in  the  boards  upon  the  window. 
To  my  dismay  the  room  looked  even  smaller  and  dingier 
than  when  I  had  examined  it  by  the  light  of  my  match 
some  hours  before.  The  young  Marquis  lay  unconscious 
in  his  corner  just  as  I  had  last  seen  him,  but  with  the 
widening  light  I  discovered  that  his  curious  posture  was 


142  A   BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

due  more  to  extraneous  circumstances  than  to  his  own 
weakness,  for  I  could  see  that  he  was  fastened  to  the 
wall  by  a  similar  collar  to  my  own. 

I  took  out  my  watch,  which  had  not  been  taken 
from  me  as  I  might  have  expected,  and  examined  the 
dial.  It  wanted  five  minutes  of  six  o'clock.  So  putting 
it  back  into  my  pocket,  I  set  myself  for  the  second  time 
to  try  and  discover  where  we  were.  By  reason  of  my 
position  and  the  chain  that  bound  me,  this  could  only 
be  done  by  listening,  so  I  shut  my  eyes  and  put  all  my 
being  into  my  ears.  For  some  moments  no  sound  re 
warded  my  attention.  Then  a  cock  in  a  neighbouring 
yard  on  my  right  crowed  lustily,  a  dog  on  my  left 
barked,  and  a  moment  later  I  heard  the  faint  sound  of 
someone  coming  along  the  street.  The  pedestrian,  who 
ever  he  might  be,  was  approaching  from  the  right  hand, 
and,  what  was  still  more  important,  my  trained  ear  in 
formed  me  that  he  was  lame  of  one  leg,  and  walked 
with  crutches.  Closer  and  closer  he  came.  But  to  my 
surprise  he  did  not  pass  the  window ;  indeed,  I  noticed 
that  when  he  came  level  with  it  the  sound  was  com 
pletely  lost  to  me.  This  told  me  two  things:  one, 
that  the  window,  which,  as  I  have  already  said,  was 
boarded  up,  did  not  look  into  the  main  thoroughfare ; 
the  other,  that  the  street  itself  ran  along  on  the 
far  side  of  the  very  wall  to  which  my  chain  was  at 
tached. 

As  I  arrived  at  the  knowledge  of  this  fact,  Becken- 
ham  opened  his  eyes ;  he  sat  up  as  well  as  his  chain 
would  permit  and  gazed  about  him  in  a  dazed  fashion. 
Then  his  right  hand  went  up  to  the  iron  collar  fastened 
round  his  neck,  and  when  he  had  realised  what  it  meant 
he  appeared  more  mystified  even  than  before.  He 
seemed  to  doze  again  for  a  minute  or  so,  then  his  eyes 


OUR  IMPRISONMENT  AND  ATTEMPT  AT  ESCAPE.  143 

opened,  and  as  they  did  so  they  fell  upon  me  and  his 
perplexity  found  relief  in  words. 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  said,  in  a  voice  like  that  of  a 
man  talking  in  his  sleep,  "  where  are  we  and  what  on 
earth  does  this  chain  mean  ?  " 

"  You  ask  me  something  that  I  want  to  know  my 
self,"  I  answered.  "  I  cannot  tell  you  where  we  are,  ex 
cept  that  we  are  in  Port  Said.  But  if  you  want  to  know 
what  I  think  it  means ;  well,  I  think  it  means  treachery. 
How  do  you  feel  now  ?  " 

"  Very  sick  indeed,  and  my  head  aches  horribly. 
But  I  can't  understand  it  at  all.  What  do  you  mean 
by  saying  that  it's  treachery  ?  " 

This  was  the  one  question  of  all  others  I  had  been 
dreading,  for  I  could  not  help  feeling  that  when  all  was 
said  and  done  I  was  bitterly  to  blame.  However,  un 
pleasant  or  not,  the  explanation  had  to  be  got  through, 
and  that  without  delay. 

"  Lord  Beckenham,"  I  began,  sitting  upright  and 
clasping  my  hands  round  my  knees,  "  this  is  a  pretty 
bad  business  for  me.  I  haven't  the  reputation  of  being 
a  coward,  but  I'll  own  I  feel  pretty  rocky  and  mean 
when  I  see  you  sitting  there  on  the  floor  with  that 
iron  collar  round  your  neck  and  that  chain  holding  you 
to  the  wall,  and  know  that  it's,  in  a  measure,  all  my 
stupid  blundering  folly  that  has  brought  it  about." 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that,  Mr.  Hatteras  !  "  was  the  young 
man's  generous  reply.  "  For  whatever  or  whoever  may 
be  to  blame  for  it,  I'm  sure  you're  not." 

"  That's  because  you  don't  know  everything,  my 
lord.  Wait  till  you  have  heard  what  I  have  to  tell  you 
before  you  give  me  such  complete  absolution." 

"  I'm  not  going  to  blame  you  whatever  you  may  tell 
me  ;  but  please  go  on  !  " 


144  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

There  and  then  I  set  to  work  and  told  him  all  that 
had  happened  to  me  since  my  arrival  in  London  ;  in 
formed  him  of  my  meeting  with  Nikola,  of  Wetherell's 
hasty  departure  for  Australia,  of  my  distrust  for  Baxter, 
described  the  telegram  incident  and  Baxter's  curious  be 
haviour  afterwards,  narrated  my  subsequent  meeting 
with  him  and  Nikola  in  the  Green  Sailor  Hotel,  de 
scribed  my  journey  to  Plymouth,  and  finished  with  the 
catastrophe  that  had  happened  to  me  there. 

"  Now  you  see,"  I  said  in  conclusion,  "  why  I  regard 
myself  as  being  so  much  to  blame." 

"  Excuse  me,"  he  answered,  "  but  I  cannot  say  that 
I  see  it  in  the  same  light  at  all." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  must  be  more  explicit  then.  In  the 
first  place  you  must  understand  that,  without  a  shadow 
of  a  doubt,  Baxter  was  chosen  for  your  tutor  by  Nikola, 
whose  agent  he  undoubtedly  is,  for  a  specific  purpose. 
Now  what  do  you  think  that  purpose  was  ?  You  don't 
know  ?  To  induce  your  father  to  let  you  travel,  to  be 
sure.  You  ask  why  they  should  want  you  to  travel  ? 
We'll  come  to  that  directly.  Their  plan  is  succeeding 
admirably,  when  I  come  upon  the  scene  and,  like  the 
great  blundering  idiot  I  am,  must  needs  set  to  work  to 
assist  them  in  their  nefarious  designs.  Your  father 
eventually  consents,  and  it  is  arranged  that  you  should 
set  off  for  Australia  at  once.  Then  it  is  discovered  that 
I  am  going  to  leave  in  the  same  boat.  This  does  not 
suit  Nikola's  plans  at  all,  so  he  determines  to  prevent 
my  sailing  with  you.  By  a  happy  chance  he  is  unsuc 
cessful,  and  I  follow  and  join  the  boat  in  Naples.  Good 
gracious  !  I  see  something  else  now." 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  Simply  this.  I  could  not  help  thinking  at  the 
time  that  your  bout  of  sea  sickness  between  Naples  and 


OUR  IMPRISONMENT  AND  ATTEMPT  AT  ESCAPE.  145 

this  infernal  place  was  extraordinary.  "Well,  if  I'm  not 
very  much  mistaken,  you  were  physicked,  and  it  was 
Baxter's  doing" 

"But  why?" 

"  Ah  !  That's  yet  to  be  discovered.  But  you  may 
bet  your  bottom  dollar  it  was  some  part  of  their  devilish 
conspiracy.  I'm  as  certain  of  that  as  that  we  are  here 
now.  Now  here's  another  point.  Do  you  remember 
my  running  out  of  the  Casino  last  night  ?  Well,  that 
was  because  I  saw  Nikola  standing  in  the  roadway 
watching  us." 

"  Are  you  certain  !  How  could  he  have  got  here  ? 
And  what  could  his  reasons  be  for  watching  us  ?  " 

"  Why,  can't  you  see  ?  To  find  out  how  his  plot  is 
succeeding,  to  be  sure." 

"  And  that  brings  us  back  to  our  original  question — 
what  is  that  plot  ?  " 

"  That's  rather  more  difficult  to  answer !  But  if 
you  ask  my  candid  opinion  I  should  say  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  to  make  you  prisoner  and  blackmail  your 
father  for  a  ransom." 

For  some  minutes  neither  of  us  spoke.  The  out 
look  seemed  too  hopeless  for  words,  and  the  Marquis 
was  still  too  weak  to  keep  up  an  animated  conversa 
tion  for  any  length  of  time.  He  sat  leaning  his  head 
on  his  hand.  But  presently  he  looked  up  again. 

"  My  poor  father !  "  he  said.  "  What  a  state  he  will 
be  in !  " 

"  And  what  frets  me  more,"  I  returned,  "  how  he 
will  regret  ever  having  listened  to  my  advice.  What 
a  dolt  I  was  not  to  have  told  him  of  my  suspicions." 

"  You  must  not  blame  yourself  for  that.  I  am 
sure  my  father  would  hold  you  as  innocent  as  I  do. 
Now  let  us  consider  our  position.  In  the  first  place, 


A   BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

where  are  we,  do  you  think  ?  In  the  second,  is  there 
any  possible  chance  of  escape  ?  " 

"  To  the  first  my  answer  is,  '  don't  know ; '  to  the 
second, '  can't  say.'  I  have  discovered  one  thing,  how 
ever,  and  that  is  that  the  street  does  not  lie  outside 
that  window,  but  runs  along  on  the  other  side  of  this 
wall  behind  me.  The  window,  I  suspect,  looks  out  on 
to  some  sort  of  a  courtyard.  But  unfortunately  that 
information  is  not  much  good  to  us,  as  we  can  neither 
of  us  move  away  from  where  we  are  placed." 

"  Is  there  no  other  way  ?  " 

"  Not  one,  as  far  as  I  can  see.  Can  you  see  anything 
on  your  side  ?  " 

"  Nothing  at  all,  unless  we  could  get  at  the  door. 
But  what's  that  sticking  out  of  the  wall  near  your 
feet?" 

I  stooped  as  much  as  I  was  able  to  get  a  better 
view  of  it. 

"  It  looks  like  a  pipe." 

The  end  of  a  pipe  it  certainly  was,  and  sticking  out 
into  the  room,  but  where  it  led  to  and  why  it  had  been 
cut  off  in  this  peculiar  fashion  were  two  questions  I 
could  no  more  answer  than  I  could  fly. 

"  Does  it  run  out  into  the  street,  do  you  think  ? " 
was  Beckenham's  immediate  query.  "  If  so,  you  might 
manage  to  call  through  it  to  some  passer-by,  and  ask 
him  to  obtain  assistance  for  us !  " 

"  A  splendid  notion  if  I  could  get  my  mouth  any 
where  within  a  foot  of  it,  but  as  this  chain  will  not  per 
mit  me  to  do  that,  it  might  as  well  be  a  hundred  miles 
off.  It's  as  much  as  I  can  do  to  touch  it  with  my  fingers." 

"  Do  you  think  if  you  had  a  stick  you  could  push  a 
piece  of  paper  through?  We  might  write  a  message 
on  it." 


OUR  IMPRISONMENT  AND  ATTEMPT  AT  ESCAPE.  147 

"  Possibly,  but  there's  another  drawback  to  that.  I 
haven't  the  necessary  piece  of  stick." 

"  Here  is  a  stiff  piece  of  straw ;  try  that." 

He  harpooned  a  piece  of  straw  about  eight  inches 
long,  across  the  room  towards  me,  and,  when  I  had  re 
ceived  it,  I  thrust  it  carefully  into  the  pipe.  A  disap 
pointment,  however,  was  in  store  for  us. 

"  It's  no  use,"  I  reported  sorrowfully,  as  I  threw  the 
straw  away.  "  It  has  an  elbow  halfway  down,  and  that 
would  prevent  any  message  from  being  pushed  through." 

"  Then  we  must  try  to  discover  some  other  plan. 
Don't  lose  heart !  " 

"  Hush !  I  hear  somebody  coming." 

True  enough  a  heavy  footfall  was  approaching  down 
the  passage.  It  stopped  at  the  door  of  the  room  in 
which  we  were  confined,  and  a  key  was  inserted  in  the 
lock.  Next  moment  the  door  swung  open  and  a  tall 
man  entered  the  room.  A  ray  of  sunlight,  penetrating 
between  the  boards  that  covered  the  window,  fell  upon 
him  and  showed  me  that  his  hair  was  white  and  tbat 
his  face  was  deeply  pitted  with  small-pox  marks.  Now 
where  had  I  met  or  heard  of  a  man  with  those  pecul 
iarities  before !  Ah !  I  remembered  ! 

He  stood  for  a  moment  in  the  doorway  .looking 
about  him,  and  then  strolled  into  the  centre  of  the 
room. 

"  Good  morning,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  with  an  airy 
condescension  that  stung  like  an  insult,  "  I  trust  you 
have  no  fault  to  find  with  the  lodging  our  poor  hospi 
tality  is  able  to  afford  you." 

"  Mr.  Prendergast,"  I  answered,  determining  to  try 
him  with  the  name  of  the  man  mentioned  by  my  sweet 
heart  in  her  letter.  "What  does  this  mean?  Why 
have  we  been  made  prisoners  like  this?  I  demand  to 


148  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

be  released  at  once.  You  will  have  to  answer  severely 
to  our  consul  for  this  detention." 

For  a  brief  space  he  appeared  to  be  dumbfounded 
by  my  knowledge  of  his  name.  But  he  soon  recovered 
himself  and  leaned  his  back  against  the  wall,  looking 
us  both  carefully  over  before  he  answered. 

"I  shall  be  only  too  pleased,"  he  said  sneeringly, 
"but  if  you'll  allow  me  to  say  so,  I  don't  think  we 
need  trouble  about  explanations  yet  awhile." 

"  Pray,  what  do  you  mean  by  that?  " 

"Exactly  what  I  say;  as  you  are  likely  to  be  our 
guests  for  some  considerable  time  to  come,  there  will 
be  no  need  for  explanation." 

"  You  mean  to  keep  us  prisoners,  then,  do  you  ? 
Very  well,  Mr.  Prendergast,  be  assured  of  this,  when  I 
do  get  loose  I'll  make  you  feel  the  weight  of  my  arm." 

"  I  think  it's  very  probable  there  will  be  a  fight  if 
ever  we  do  meet,"  he  answered,  coolly  taking  a  cigarette 
from  his  pocket  and  lighting  it.  "And  it's  my  im 
pression  you'd  be  a  man  worth  fighting,  Mr.  Hat- 
teras." 

All  this  time  the  young  Marquis  had  not  said  a 
word.  Now  he  interrogated  Prendergast  in  his  turn. 

"  If  you  think  my  father  will  let  me  remain  here 
very  long,  you're  much  mistaken,"  he  said.  "  And  as 
for  the  ransom  you  expect  him  to  pay,  I  don't  some 
how  fancy  you'll  get  a  halfpenny." 

At  the  mention  of  the  word  "  ransom  "  I  noticed 
that  a  new  and  queer  expression  came  into  our  captor's 
face.  He  did  not  reply,  however,  except  to  utter  his 
usual  irritating  laugh.  Having  done  so  he  went  to  the 
door  and  called  something  in  Arabic.  In  answer  a 
gigantic  negro  made  his  appearance,  bearing  in  his 
hands  a  tray  on  which  were  set  two  basins  of  food  and 


OUR  IMPRISONMENT  AND  ATTEMPT  AT  ESCAPE.  149 

two  large  mugs  of  water.  These  were  placed  before  us 
and  Prendergast  bade  us,  if  we  were  hungry,  fall  to. 

"  You  must  not  imagine  that  we  wish  to  starve 
you,"  he  said.  "  Food  will  be  served  to  you  twice  a  day. 
And  if  you  want  it,  you  can  even  be  supplied  with  spir 
its  and  tobacco.  Now,  before  I  go,  one  word  of  advice. 
Don't  indulge  in  any  idea  of  escape.  Communication 
with  the  outside  world  is  absolutely  impossible,  and  you 
will  find  that  those  collars  and  chains  will  stand  a  good 
strain  before  they  give  way.  If  you  behave  yourselves 
you  will  be  well  looked  after ;  but  if  you  attempt  any 
larks  you  will  be  confined  in  different  rooms,  and  there 
will  be  a  radical  change  in  our  behaviour  towards  you." 

So  saying  he  left  the  room,  taking  the  precaution  to 
lock  the  door  carefully  behind  him. 

When  we  were  once  more  alone,  a  long  silence  fell 
upon  us.  It  would  be  idle  lor  me  to  say  that  the  gen 
erous  behaviour  of  the  young  Marquis  with  regard  to 
my  share  in  this  wretched  business  had  set  my  mind  at 
rest.  But  if  it  had  not  done  that  it  had  at  least  served 
to  intensify  another  resolution.  Come  what  might,  I 
told  myself,  I  would, find  a  way  of  escape,  and  he  should 
be  returned  to  his  father  safe  and  sound,  if  it  cost  me 
my  life  to  do  it.  But  how  ivere  we  to  escape?  We 
could  not  move  from  our  places  on  account  of  the 
chains  that  secured  us  to  the  walls,  and,  though  I  put 
all  my  whole  strength  into  it,  I  found  I  could  not  dis 
lodge  the  staple  a  hundredth  part  of  an  inch  from  its 
holding-place. 

The  morning  wore  slowly  on,  midday  came  and 
went,  the  afternoon  dragged  its  dismal  length,  and  still 
there  was  no  change  in  our  position.  Towards  sun 
down  the  same  gigantic  negro  entered  the  room  again, 
bringing  us  our  evening  meal.  When  he  left  we  were 


150  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

locked  up  for  the  night,  with  only  the  contemplation  of 
our  woes,  and  the  companionship  of  the  multitudes  of 
mice  that  scampered  about  the  floor,  to  enliven  us. 

The  events  of  the  next  seven  days  are  hardly  worth 
chronicling,  unless  it  is  to  state  that  every  morning  at 
daylight  the  same  cock  crew  and  the  same  dog  barked, 
while  at  six  o'clock  the  same  cripple  invariably  made 
his  way  down  the  street  behind  me.  At  eight  o'clock, 
almost  to  the  minute,  breakfast  was  served  to  us,  and 
just  as  punctually  the  evening  meal  made  its  appearance 
as  the  sun  was  declining  behind  the  opposite  housetop. 
Not  again  did  we  see  any  sign  of  Mr.  Prendergast,  and 
though  times  out  of  number  I  tugged  at  my  chain  I 
was  never  a  whit  nearer  loosening  it  than  I  had  been  on 
the  first  occasion.  One  after  another  plans  of  escape 
were  proposed,  discussed,  and  invariably  rejected  as  im 
practicable.  So  another  week  passed  and  another,  until 
we  had  been  imprisoned  in  that  loathsome  place  not 
less  than  twenty  days.  By  the  end  of  that  time,  as  may 
be  supposed,  we  were  as  desperate  as  men  could  well  be. 
I  must,  however,  admit  here  that  anything  like  the 
patience  and  pluck  of  my  companion  under  such  trying 
circumstances  I  have  never  in  my  life  met  with  before. 
Not  once  did  he  reproach  me  in  the  least  degree  for  my 
share  in  the  wretched  business,  but  took  everything  just 
as  it  came,  without  unnecessary  comment  and  certainly 
without  complaint. 

One  fact  had  repeatedly  struck  me  as  significant, 
and  that  was  the  circumstance  that  every  morning  be 
tween  six  and  half-past,  as  already  narrated,  the  same 
cripple  went  down  the  street ;  and  in  connection  with 
this,  within  the  last  few  days  of  the  time,  a  curious  co 
incidence  had  revealed  itself  to  me.  From  the  tapping 
of  his  crutches  on  the  stones  I  discovered  that  while  one 


OUR  IMPRISONMENT  AND  ATTEMPT  AT  ESCAPE.  151 

was  shod  with  iron,  the  other  was  not.  Now  where  and 
when  had  I  noticed  that  peculiarity  in  a  cripple  before? 
That  I  had  observed  it  somewhere  I  was  certain.  For 
nearly  half  the  day  I  turned  this  over  and  over  in  my 
mind,  and  then,  in  the  middle  of  my  evening  meal, 
enlightenment  came  to  me.  I  remembered  the  man 
whose  piteous  tale  had  so  much  affected  Beckenham  on 
the  day  of  our  arrival,  and  the  sound  his  crutches  made 
upon  the  pavement  as  he  left  us.  If  my  surmise  proved 
correct,  and  we  could  only  manage  to  communicate 
with  him,  here  was  a  golden  opportunity.  But  how 
were  we  to  do  this?  We  discussed  it  and  discussed  it 
times  out  of  number,  but  in  vain.  That  he  must  be 
stopped  on  his  way  down  the  street  need  not  be  argued 
at  all.  In  what  way,  however,  could  this  be  done? 
The  window  was  out  of  the  question,  the  door  was  not 
to  be  thought  of ;  in  that  case  the  only  communicating 
place  would  be  the  small  pipe  by  my  side.  But  as  I 
have  already  pointed  out,  by  reason  of  the  elbow  it 
would  be  clearly  impossible  to  force  a  message  through 
it.  All  day  we  devoted  ourselves  to  attempts  to  solve 
what  seemed  a  hopeless  difficulty.  Then  like  a  flash 
another  brilliant  inspiration  burst  upon  me. 

"  By  Jove,  I  have  it ! "  I  said,  taking  care  to  whisper 
lest  anyone  might  be  listening  at  the  door.  "  We  must 
manage  by  hook  or  crook  to  catch  a  mouse  and  let  him 
carry  our  appeal  for  help  to  the  outside  world." 

"  A  magnificent  idea.  I  do  believe  you've  saved 
us!" 

But  to  catch  a  mouse  was  easier  said  than  done. 
Though  the  room  was  alive  with  them  they  were  so 
nimble  and  so  cunning  that,  try  how  we  would,  we  could 
not  lay  hold  of  one.  But  at  length  my  efforts  were  re 
warded,  and  after  a  little  struggle  I  held  my  precious 


152  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

captive  in  my  hand.  By  this  time  another  idea  had 
come  to  me.  If  we  wanted  to  bring  Nikola  and  his 
gang  to  justice  and  to  discover  their  reason  for  hatching 
this  plot  against  us,  it  would  not  do  to  ask  the  public  at 
large  for  help — and  I  must  own,  in  spite  of  our  long 
imprisonment,  I  was  weak  enough  to  feel  a  curiosity  as 
to  their  motive.  No !  It  must  be  to  the  beggar  who 
passed  the  house  every  morning  that  we  must  appeal. 

"  This  letter  concerns  you  more  than  me,"  I  said  to 
my  companion.  "  Have  you  a  lead  pencil  in  your 
pocket?" 

He  had,  and  immediately  threw  it  across  to  me. 
Then  taking  a  small  piece  of  paper  from  my  pocket  I 
set  myself  to  compose  the  following  in  French  and 
English : 

"  If  this  should  meet  the  eye  of  the  individual  to 
whom  a  young  Englishman  gave  half-a-sovereign  in 
charity  three  weeks  ago,  he  is  implored  to  assist  one 
who  assisted  him,  and  who  has  been  imprisoned  ever 
since  that  day  in  the  room  with  the  blank  wall  facing 
the  street  and  the  boarded-up  window  on  the  right  hand 
side.  To  do  this  he  must  obtain  a  small  file  and  dis 
cover  a  way  to  convey  it  into  the  room  by  means  of 
the  small  pipe  leading  through  the  blank  wall  into  the 
street ;  if  this  could  be  dislodged  it  might  be  pushed  in 
through  the  aperture  thus  made.  On  receipt  of  the  file 
an  English  five-pound  note  will  be  conveyed  to  him  in 
the  same  way  as  this  letter,  and  another  if  secrecy  is 
observed  and  those  imprisoned  in  the  house  escape." 

This  important  epistle  had  hardly  been  concocted 
before  the  door  was  unlocked  and  our  dusky  servitor 
entered  with  the  evening  meal.  He  had  long  since 


OUR  IMPRISONMENT  AND  ATTEMPT  AT  ESCAPE.  153 

abandoned  his  first  habit  of  bringing  us  our  food  in 
separate  basins,  but  conveyed  it  to  us  now  in  the  sauce 
pan  in  which  it  was  cooked,  dividing  it  thence  into  our 
basins.  These  latter,  it  may  be  interesting  to  state,  had 
not  been  washed  since  our  arrival. 

All  the  time  that  our  jailer  was  in  the  room  I  held 
my  trembling  prisoner  in  my  hand,  clinging  to  him  as 
to  the  one  thing  which  connected  us  with  liberty.  But 
the  door  had  no  sooner  closed  upon  him  than  I  had 
tilted  out  my  food  upon  the  floor  and  converted  my 
basin  into  a  trap. 

It  may  be  guessed  how  long  that  night  seemed  to  us, 
and  with  what  trembling  eagerness  we  awaited  the  first 
signs  of  breaking  day.  Directly  it  was  light  I  took  off 
and  unravelled  one  of  my  socks.  The  thread  thus  ob 
tained  I  doubled,  and  this  done,  secured  one  end  of  it 
to  the  note,  which  I  had  rolled  into  a  small  compass, 
attaching  the  other  to  my  captive  mouse's  hind  leg. 
Then  we  set  ourselves  to  wait  for  six  o'clock.  The  hour 
came;  and  minute  after  minute  went  by  before  we 
heard  in  the  distance  the  tapping  of  the  crutches  on  the 
stones.  Little  by  little  the  sound  grew  louder,  and  then 
fainter,  and  when  I  judged  he  was  nearly  at  my  back  I 
stooped  and  thrust  our  curious  messenger  into  the  pipe. 
Then  we  sat  down  to  await  the  result. 

As  the  mouse,  only  too  glad  to  escape,  ran  into  the 
aperture,  the  thread,  on  which  our  very  lives  depended, 
swiftly  followed,  dragging  its  message  after  it.  Minutes 
went  by  ;  half-an-hour  ;  an  hour  ;  and  then  the  remain 
der  of  the  day ;  and  still  nothing  came  to  tell  us  that 
our  appeal  had  been  successful. 

That  night  I  caught  another  mouse,  wrote  the  letter 
again,  and  at  six  o'clock  next  morning  once  more  de 
spatched  it  on  its  journey.  Another  day  went  by  with- 


154  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

out  reply.  That  night  we  caught  another,  and  at  six 
o'clock  next  morning  sent  it  off ;  a  third,  and  even  a 
fourth,  followed,  but  still  without  success.  By  this 
time  the  mice  were  almost  impossible  to  catch,  but  our 
wits  were  sharpened  by  despair,  and  we  managed  to  hit 
upon  a  method  that  eventually  secured  for  us  a  plenti 
ful  supply.  For  the  sixth  time  the  letter  was  written 
and  dispatched  at  the  moment  the  footsteps  were  com 
ing  down  the  street.  Once  more  the  tiny  animal 
crawled  into  the  pipe,  and  once  more  the  message  dis 
appeared  upon  its  journey. 

Another  day  was  spent  in  anxious  waiting,  but  this 
time  we  were  not  destined  to  be  disappointed.  About 
eight  o'clock  that  night,  just  as  we  were  giving  up  hope, 
I  detected  a  faint  noise  near  my  feet ;  for  all  the  world 
as  if  someone  were  forcing  a  stick  through  a  hole  in  a 
brick  wall.  I  informed  Beckenham  of  the  fact  in  a 
whisper,  and  then  put  my  head  down  to  listen.  Yes, 
there  was  the  sound  again.  Oh,  if  only  I  had  a  match  ! 
But  it  was  no  use  wishing  for  what  was  impossible, 
so  I  put  my  hand  down  to  the  pipe.  It  was  moving  I 
It  turned  in  my  hand,  moved  to  and  fro  for  a  brief 
space  and  then  disappeared  from  my  grasp  entirely ; 
next  moment  it  had  left  the  room.  A  few  seconds  later 
something  cold  was  thrust  into  my  hand,  and  from  its 
rough  edge  I  knew  it  to  be  a  file.  I  drew  it  out  as  if  it 
were  made  of  gold  and  thrust  it  into  my  pocket.  A 
piece  of  string  was  attached  to  it,  and  the  reason  of 
this  I  was  at  first  at  some  loss  to  account  for.  But  a 
moment's  reflection  told  me  that  it  was  to  assist  in  the 
fulfilment  of  our  share  of  the  bargain.  So,  taking  a  five 
pound  note  from  the  secret  pocket  in  which  I  carried 
my  paper  money,  I  tied  the  string  to  it  and  it  was  in 
stantly  withdrawn. 


OUR  IMPRISONMENT  AND  ATTEMPT  AT  ESCAPE.  155 

A  minute  could  not  have  elapsed  before  I  was  at 
work  upon  the  staple  of  my  collar,  and  in  less  than  half 
an  hour  it  was  filed  through  and  the  iron  was  off  my 
neck. 

If  I  tried  for  a  year  I  could  not  make  you  under 
stand  what  a  relief  it  was  to  me  to  stand  upright.  I 
stretched  myself  again  and  again,  and  then  crossed  the 
room  on  tiptoe  in  the  dark  to  where  the  Marquis  lay. 

"  You  are  free  !  "  he  whispered,  clutching  and  shak 
ing  my  hand.  "  Oh,  thank  God  !  " 

"  Hush  !  Put  down  your  head  and  let  me  get  to 
work  upon  your  collar  before  you  say  anything  more." 

As  I  was  able  this  time  to  get  at  my  work  standing 
up,  it  was  not  very  long  before  Beckenham  was  as  free  as 
myself.  He  rose  to  his  feet  with  a  great  sigh  of  relief 
and  we  shook  hands  warmly  in  the  dark. 

"  Now,"  I  said,  leading  him  towards  the  door,  "  we 
will  attempt  our  escape,  and  I  pity  the  man  who  at 
tempts  to  stop  us." 


11 


CHAPTER  IX. 

DR.  NIKOLA  PERMITS  US  A  FREE  PASSAGE. 

THE  old  saying,  "  Don't  count  your  chickens  before 
they're  hatched,"  is  as  good  a  warning  as  any  I  know. 
Certainly  it  proved  so  in  our  case.  For  had  we  not 
been  so  completely  occupied  filing  through  the  staples 
of  our  collars  we  should  not  have  omitted  to  take  into 
consideration  the  fact  that,  even  when  we  should  have 
removed  the  chains  that  bound  us,  we  would  still  be 
prisoners  in  the  room.  I'm  very  much  afraid,  however, 
even  had  we  remembered  this  point,  we  should  only 
have  considered  it  of  minor  importance,  and  one  to  be 
easily  overcome.  As  it  was,  the  unwelcome  fact  re 
mained  that  the  door  was  locked,  and,  what  was  worse, 
that  the  lock  itself  had,  for  security's  sake,  been  placed 
on  the  outside,  so  that  there  was  no  chance  of  our  being 
able  to  pick  it,  even  had  our  accomplishments  lain  in 
that  direction. 

"  Try  the  window,"  whispered  Beckenham,  in  an 
swer  to  the  heavy  sigh  which  followed  my  last  discovery. 

Accordingly  we  crossed  the  room,  and  I  put  my 
hands  upon  one  of  the  boards  and  pulled.  But  I  might 
as  well  have  tried  to  tow  a  troopship  with  a  piece  of 
cotton,  for  all  the  satisfactory  result  I  got ;  the  planks 
were  trebly  screwed  to  the  window  frame,  and  each  in 
turn  defied  me.  When  I  was  tired  Beckenham  put  his 

156 


DR.  NIKOLA  PERMITS  US  A  FREE  PASSAGE. 

strength  to  it,  but  even  our  united  efforts  were  of  no 
avail,  and,  panting  and  exhausted,  we  were  at  length 
obliged  to  give  it  up  as  hopeless. 

"  This  is  a  pretty  fix  we've  got  ourselves  into,"  I  said 
as  soon  as  I  had  recovered  sufficient  breath  to  speak. 
"  We  can't  remain  here,  and  what  on  earth  are  we  to  do 
to  escape  ?  " 

"  1  can't  say,  unless  we  manage  to  burst  that  door 
open  and  fight  our  way  out.  I  wonder  if  that  would  be 
possible  ?  " 

"  First,  let's  see  if  it's  possible  to  burst  the  door  !  " 

We  crossed  the  'room  again  and  I  examined  the  door 
carefully  with  my  fingers.  It  was  not  an  over-strong 
one ;  but  I  was  sufficient  of  a  carpenter  to  tell  that  it 
would  withstand  a  good  deal  of  pressure  before  it  would 
give  way. 

"  I've  a  good  mind  to  try  it,"  I  said  ;  "  but  in  that 
case,  remember,  it  will  probably  mean  a  hand-to-hand 
fight  on  the  other  side,  and,  unarmed  and  weak  as  we 
are,  we  shall  be  pretty  sure  to  get  the  worst  of  it." 

"  Never  mind  that,"  my  intrepid  companion  replied, 
with  a  confidence  in  his  voice  that  I  was  very  far  from 
feeling.  "  In  for  a  penny,  in  for  a  pound,  even  if  we're 
killed  it  couldn't  be  worse  than  being  buried  alive  in 
here." 

"  That's  so,  and  if  fighting's  your  idea,  I'm  your 
man,"  I  answered.  "  Let  me  first  take  my  bearings, 
and  then  I'll  see  what  I  can  do  against  it.  You  get  out 
of  the  way,  but  be  sure  to  stand  by  to  rush  the  passage 
directly  the  door  goes." 

Again  I  felt  the  door  and  wall  in  order  that  I  might 
be  sure  where  it  lay,  and  having  done  so  crossed  the 
room.  My  heart  was  beating  like  a  Nasmyth  hammer, 
and  it  was  nearly  a  minute  before  I  could  pull  myself 


158  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

together  sufficiently  for  my  rush.  Then  summoning 
every  muscle  in  my  body  to  my  assistance,  I  dashed 
across  and  at  it  with  every  ounce  of  strength  my  frame 
was  capable  of.  Considering  the  darkness  of  the  room, 
my  steering  was  not  so  bad,  for  my  shoulder  caught  the 
door  just  above  its  centre  ;  there  was  a  great  crash — a 
noise  of  breaking  timbers — and  amid  a  shower  of 
splinters  and  general  debris  I  fell  headlong  through 
into  the  passage.  By  the  time  it  would  have  taken  me 
to  count  five,  Beckenham  was  beside  me  helping  me  to 
rise. 

"  Now  stand  by  for  big  trouble  !  "  I  said,  rubbing  my 
shoulder,  and  every  moment  expecting  to  see  a  door 
open  and  a  crowd  of  Prendergast's  ruffians  come  rush 
ing  out.  "  We  shall  have  them  on  us  in  a  minute." 

But  to  our  intense  astonishment  it  was  all  dead 
silence  in  the  house.  Not  a  sound  of  any  single  kind, 
save  our  excited  breathing,  greeted  our  ears.  We  might 
have  broken  into  an  empty  house  for  all  we  knew  the 
difference. 

For  nearly  five  minutes  we  stood,  side  by  side,  wait 
ing  for  the  battle  which  did  not  come. 

"  What  on  earth  does  it  all  mean  ?  "  I  asked  my 
companion.  "  That  crash  of  mine  was  loud  enough  to 
wake  the  dead.  Can  they  have  deserted  the  place, 
think  you,  and  left  us  to  starve  ?  " 

"  I  can't  make  it  out  any  more  than  you  can,"  he 
answered.  "  But  don't  you  think  we'd  better  take  ad 
vantage  of  their  not  coming  to  find  a  way  out  ?  " 

"  Of  course.  One  of  us  had  better  creep  down  the 
passage  and  discover  how  the  land  lies.  As  I'm  the 
stronger,  I'll  go.  You  wait  here." 

Stealthily  as  a  cat  I  crept  along  the  passage,  tread 
ing  cautiously,  for  I  knew  that  both  our  lives  depended 


DR.  XTKQLA   PERMITS  US   A  FREE   PASSAGE.  159 

on  it.  Though  it  could  not  have  been  more  than  sixty 
feet,  it  seemed  of  interminable  length,  and  was  as  black 
as  night.  Not  a  glimmer  of  light,  however  faint,  met 
my  eyes. 

On  and  on  I  stole,  expecting  every  moment  to  be 
pounced  upon  and  seized ;  but  no  such  fate  awaited  me. 
If,  however,  our  jailers  did  not  appear,  another  danger 
was  in  store  for  me. 

In  the  middle  of  my  walk  my  feet  suddenly  went 
from  under  me,  and  I  found  myself  falling  I  knew  not 
where.  In  reality  it  was  only  a  drop  of  about  three  feet 
down  a  short  flight  of  steps.  Such  a  noise  as  my  fall 
made  was  surely  never  heard,  still,  however,  no  sound 
came.  Then  Beckenham  fumbled  his  way  cautiously 
down  the  steps  to  my  side,  and  whispered  an  enquiry  as 
to  what  had  happened.  I  told  him  in  as  few  words  as 
possible,  and  then  struggled  to  my  feet  again. 

Just  as  I  did  so  my  eyes  detected  a  faint  glimmer  of 
light  low  down  on  the  floor  ahead  of  us.  From  its  po 
sition  it  evidently  emanated  from  the  doorway  of  a 
room. 

"  Oh  !  if  only  we  had  a  match,"  I  whispered. 

"  It's  no  good  wishing,"  said  Beckenham.  "  What 
do  you  advise  ?  " 

"  It's  difficult  to  say  ;  but  I  should  think  we'd  better 
listen  at  that  door  and  try  to  discover  if  there  is  anyone 
inside.  If  there  is,  and  he  is  alone,  we  must  steal  in 
upon  him,  let  him  see  that  we  are  desperate,  and,  willy 
nilly,  force  him  to  show  us  a  way  out.  It's  ten  chances 
to  one,  if  we  go  on  prowling  about  here,  we  shall 
stumble  upon  the  whole  nest  of  them — then  we'll  be 
caught  like  rats  in  a  trap.  What  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  I  agree  with  you.     Go  on." 

Without  further  ado  we   crept   towards  the  light, 


160  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

which,  as  I  expected,  came  from  under  a  door,  and  lis 
tened.  Someone  was  plainly  moving  about  inside ;  but 
though  we  listened  for  what  seemed  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  but  must  in  reality  have  been  less  than  a  minute 
and  a  half,  we  could  hear  no  voices. 

"Whoever  he  is,  he's  alone — that's  certain,"  whis 
pered  my  companion.  "  Open  the  door  softly,  and  we'll 
creep  in  upon  him." 

In  answer,  and  little  by  little,  a  cold  shiver  running 
down  my  back  lest  it  should  creak  and  so  give  warning 
to  the  person  within,  I  turned  the  handle,  pushed  open 
the  door,  and  we  looked  inside.  Then — but,  my  gra 
cious  !  if  I  live  to  be  a  thousand  I  shall  never  forget 
even  the  smallest  particular  connected  with  the  sight 
that  met  my  eyes. 

The  room  itself  was  a  long  and  low  one ;  its  measure 
ments  possibly  sixty  feet  by  fifteen.  The  roof — for  there 
was  no  ceiling — was  of  wood,  crossed  by  heavy  rafters, 
and  much  begrimed  with  dirt  and  smoke.  The  floor 
was  of  some  highly  polished  wood  closely  resembling 
oak  and  was  completely  bare.  But  the  shape  and  con 
struction  of  the  room  itself  were  as  nothing  compared 
with  the  strangeness  of  its  furniture  and  occupants. 
Words  would  fail  me  if  I  tried  to  give  you  a  true  and 
accurate  description  of  it.  I  only  know  that,  strong 
man,  used  to  the  horrors  of  life  and  death,  as  I  was, 
what  I  saw  before  me  made  my  blood  run  cold  and  my 
flesh  creep  as  it  had  never  been  made  to  do  before. 

To  begin  with,  round  the  walls  were  arranged,  at 
regular  intervals,  more  than  a  dozen  enormous  bottles, 
each  of  which  contained  what  looked,  to  me,  only  too 
much  like  human  specimens  pickled  in  some  light- 
coloured  fluid  resembling  spirits  of  wine.  Between 
these  gigantic  but  more  than  horrible  receptacles  were 


DR.   NIKOLA  PERMITS  US  A   FREE   PASSAGE.  161 

numberless  smaller  ones  holding  other  and  even  more 
dreadful  remains ;  while  on  pedestals  and  stands,  bolt 
upright  and  reclining,  were  skeletons  of  men,  monkeys, 
and  quite  a  hundred  sorts  of  animals.  The  intervening 
spaces  were  filled  with  skulls,  bones,  and  the  apparatus 
for  every  kind  of  murder  known  to  the  fertile  brain  of 
man.  There  were  European  rifles,  revolvers,  bayonets, 
and  swords ;  Italian  stilettos,  Turkish  scimitars,  Greek 
knives,  Central  African  spears  and  poisoned  arrows,  Zulu 
knob-kerries,  Afghan  yataghans,  Malay  krises,  Sumatra 
blow-pipes,  Chinese  dirks,  New  Guinea  head-catching 
implements,  Australian  spears  and  boomerangs,  Poly 
nesian  stone  hatchets,  and  numerous  other  weapons  the 
names  of  which  I  cannot  now  remember.  Mixed  up 
with  them  were  implements  for  every  sort  of  wizardry 
known  to  the  superstitious ;  from  English  love  charms 
to  African  Obi  sticks,  from  spiritualistic  planchettes  to 
the  most  horrible  of  Fijian  death  potions. 

In  the  centre  of  the  wall,  opposite  to  where  we  stood, 
was  a  large  fireplace  of  the  fashion  usually  met  with  in 
old  English  manor-houses,  and  on  either  side  of  it  a 
figure  that  nearly  turned  me  sick  with  horror.  That  on 
the  right  side  was  apparently  a  native  of  Northern  India, 
if  one  might  judge  by  his  dress  and  complexion.  He  sat 
on  the  floor  in  a  constrained  attitude,  accounted  for  by 
the  fact  that  his  head,  which  was  at  least  three  times  too 
big  for  his  body,  was  so  heavy  as  to  require  an  iron  tripod 
with  a  ring  or  collar  in  the  top  of  it  to  keep  it  from  over 
balancing  him  and  bringing  him  to  the  floor.  To  add  to 
the  horror  of  this  awful  head,  it  was  quite  bald ;  the  skin 
was  drawn  tensely  over  the  bones,  and  upon  this  great 
veins  stood  out  as  large  as  macaroni  stems. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  hearth  was  a  creature  half 
ape  and  half  man — the  like  of  which  I  remember  once 


162  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

to  have  seen  in  a  museum  of  monstrosities  in  Sydney, 
where,  if  my  memory  serves  me,  he  was  described  upon 
the  catalogue  as  a  Burmese  monkey-boy.  He  was 
chained  to  the  wall  in  somewhat  the  same  fashion  as 
we  had  been,  and  was  chattering  and  scratching  for  all 
the  world  like  a  monkey  in  a  Zoo. 

But,  horrible  as  these  things  were,  the  greatest  sur 
prise  of  all  was  yet  to  come.  For,  standing  at  the  heavy 
oaken  table  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  was  a  man  I  should 
have  known  anywhere  if  I  had  been  permitted  half  a 
glance  at  him.  It  ^vas  Dr.  Nikola. 

When  we  entered  he  was  busily  occupied  with  a 
scalpel,  dissecting  an  animal  strangely  resembling  a 
monkey.  On  the  table,  and  watching  the  work  upon 
which  his  master  was  engaged,  sat  his  constant  com 
panion,  the  same  fiendish  black  cat  I  have  mentioned 
on  a  previous  occasion.  While  at  the  end  nearest  us,  on 
tip- toe,  in  order  to  see  what  was  going  on,  stood  an 
albino  dwarf,  scarcely  more  than  two  feet  eight  inches 
high. 

Now,  though  it  has  necessarily  taken  me  some  time 
to  describe  the  scene  which  greeted  our  eyes,  it  must  not 
be  supposed  that  anything  like  the  same  length  of  time 
had  really  elapsed.  Three  seconds  at  the  very  most 
would  have  sufficed  to  cover  the  whole  period. 

So  stealthily,  however,  had  our  approach  been  made, 
and  so  carefully  had  I  opened  the  door,  that  we  were 
well  into  the  room  before  our  appearance  was  discovered, 
and  also  before  I  had  realised  into  whose  presence  we  had 
stumbled.  Then  my  foot  touched  upon  a  board  that 
creaked,  and  Dr.  Nikola  looked  up  from  the  work  upon 
which  he  was  engaged. 

His  pale,  thin  face  did  not  show  the  slightest  sign  of 
surprise  as  he  said,  in  his  usual  placid  tone  : 


DR.  NIKOLA  PERMITS  US  A  FREE  PASSAGE.  163 

"  So  you  have  managed  to  escape  from  your  room, 
gentlemen.  Well,  and  pray  what  do  you  want  with 
me?" 

For  a  moment  I  was  so  much  overcome  with  surprise 
that  my  tongue  refused  to  perform  its  office.  Then  I 
said,  advancing  towards  him  as  I  spoke,  closely  followed 
by  the  Marquis : 

"  So,  Dr.  Nikola,  we  have  met  at  last ! " 

"At  last,  Mr.  Hatteras,  as  you  say,"  this  singular 
being  replied,  still  without  a  sign  of  either  interest  or 
embarrassment.  "  All  things  considered,  I  suppose  you 
would  deem  me  ironical  if  I  ventured  to  say  that  I  am 
pleased  to  see  you  about  again.  However,  don't  let  me 
keep  you  standing,  won't  you  sit  down  ?  My  Lord 
Marquis,  let  me  offer  you  a  chair." 

All  this  time  we  were  edging  up  alongside  the  table, 
and  I  was  making  ready  for  a  rush  at  him.  But  he  was 
not  to  be  taken  off  his  guard.  His  extraordinary  eyes 
had  been  watching  me  intently,  taking  in  my  every 
movement ;  and  a  curious  effect  they  had  upon  me. 

"  Dr.  Nikola,"  I  said,  pulling  myself  together,  "  the 
game  is  up.  You  beat  me  last  time ;  but  now  you  must 
own  I  come  out  on  top.  Don't  utter  a  word  or  call  for 
assistance — if  you  do  you're  a  dead  man.  Now  drop 
that  knife  you  hold  in  your  hand,  and  show  us  the  way 
out ! " 

The  Marquis  was  on  his  right,  I  was  on  his  left,  and 
we  were  closing  in  upon  him  as  I  spoke.  Still  he  showed 
no  sign  of  fear,  though  he  must  have  well  known  the 
danger  of  his  position.  But  his  eyes  glowed  in  his  head 
like  living  coals. 

You  will  ask  why  we  did  not  rush  at  him  ?  Well,  if 
I  am  obliged  to  own  it,  I  must — the  truth  was,  such  was 
the  power  that  emanated  from  this  extraordinary  man, 


,164  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

that  though  we  both  knew  the  crucial  moment  of  our 
enterprise  had  arrived,  while  his  eyes  were  fixed  upon 
us,  neither  of  us  could  stir  an  inch.  When  he  spoke  his 
voice  seemed  to  cut  like  a  knife. 

"  So  you  think  my  game  is  up,  Mr.  Hatteras,  do  you  ? 
I'm  afraid  once  more  I  must  differ  from  you.  Look 
behind  you,  my  friend." 

I  did  so,  and  that  glance  showed  me  how  cleverly 
we'd  been  trapped.  Leaning  against  the  door,  watching 
us  with  cruel,  yet  smiling  eyes,  was  our  old  enemy,  Pren- 
dergast,  revolver  in  hand.  Just  behind  me  were  two 
powerful  Soudanese,  while  near  the  Marquis  was  a  man 
looking  like  a  Greek — and  a  very  stalwart  Greek  at  that. 
Observing  our  discomfiture,  Nikola  seated  himself  in  a 
big  chair  near  the  fireplace  and  folded  his  hands  in  the 
curious  fashion  I  have  before  described  ;  as  he  did  so  his 
black  cat  sprang  to  his  shoulder  and  sat  there  watching 
us  all.  Dr.  Nikola  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  said,  with  devilish  clearness  and 
deliberation,  "  you  should  really  know  me  better  by  this 
time  than  to  think  you  could  outwit  me  so  easily.  Is 
my  reputation  after  all  so  small  as  that  ?  And,  while  I 
think  of  it,  pray  let  me  have  the  pleasure  of  returning 
to  you  your  five-pound  note  and  your  letters.  Your 
mice  were  perfect  messengers,  were  they  not  ?  " 

As  he  spoke  he  handed  me  the  selfsame  Bank  of 
England  note  I  had  despatched  through  the  pipe  that 
very  evening  in  payment  for  the  file;  then  he  shook 
from  a  box  he  had  taken  from  the  chimneypiece  all  the 
communications  I  had  written  imploring  assistance  from 
the  outside  world.  To  properly  estimate  my  chagrin 
and  astonishment  would  be  very  difficult.  I  could  only 
sit  and  stare,  first  at  the  money  and  then  at  the  letters, 
in  blankest  amazement.  So  we  had  not  been  rescued 


DR.  NIKOLA   PERMITS  US  A  FREE  PASSAGE.  165 

by  the  cripple  after  all.  Was  it  possible  that  while  we 
had  been  so  busy  arranging  our  escape  we  had  in  reality 
been  all  the  time  under  the  closest  surveillance?  If 
that  were  so,  then  this  knowledge  of  our  doings  would 
account  for  the  silence  with  which  my  attack  upon  the 
door  had  been  received.  Now  we  were  in  an  even  worse 
position  than  before.  I  looked  at  Beckenham,  but  his 
head  was  down  and  his  right  hand  was  picking  idly  at 
the  table  edge.  He  was  evidently  waiting  for  what  was 
coming  next.  In  sheer  despair  I  turned  to  Nikola. 

"  Since  you  have  outwitted  us  again,  Dr.  Nikola,  do 
not  play  with  us — tell  us  straight  out  what  our  fate  is 
to  tie." 

"  If  it  means  going  back  to  that  room  again,"  said 
Beckenham  in  a  voice  I  hardly  recognised,  "  I  would  far 
rather  die  and  be  done  with  it." 

"  Do  not  fear,  my  lord,  you  shall  not  die,"  Nikola 
said,  turning  to  him  with  a  bow.  "  Believe  me,  you  will 
live  to  enjoy  many  happier  hours  than  those  you  have 
been  compelled  to  spend  under  my  roof ! " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

The  doctor  did  not  answer  for  nearly  a  moment; 
then  he  took  what  looked  to  me  suspiciously  like  a  ca 
blegram  form  from  his  pocket  and  carefully  examined 
it.  Having  done  so,  he  said  quietly : 

"  Gentlemen,  you  ask  what  I  mean  ?  Well,  I  mean 
this — if  you  wish  to  leave  this  house  this  very  minute, 
you  are  free  to  do  so  on  one  condition  !  " 

"  And  that  condition  is  ?  " 

"  That  you  allow  yourselves  to  be  blindfolded  in  this 
room  and  conducted  by  my  servants  to  the  harbour  side. 
I  furthermore  ask  your  words  of  honour  that  you  will 
not  seek  to  remove  your  bandages  until  you  are  given 
permission  to  do  so.  Do  you  agree  to  this?" 


166  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Needless  to  say  we  both  signified  our  assent. 

This  free  permission  to  leave  the  house  was  a  second 
surprise,  and  one  for  which  we  were  totally  unprepared. 

"  Then  let  it  be  so.  My  Lord  Marquis,  and  you,  Mr. 
Hatteras,  it  is  with  sincere  pleasure  I  restore  to  you 
your  liberty  again  !  " 

He  made  a  sign  to  Prendergast,  who  instantly  stepped 
forward.  But  I  had  something  to  say  before  we  were 
removed. 

"  One  word  first,  Dr.  Nikola.     You  have " 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,  if  you  will  be  guided  by  me,  you  will 
keep  a  silent  tongue  in  your  head.  Let  well  alone.  In 
the  words  of  the  proverb,  Beware  how  you  disturb  a 
sleeping  dog.  Why  I  have  acted  as  I  have  done  towards 
you  you  may  some  day  learn ;  in  the  meanwhile  rest  as 
sured  it  was  from  no  idle  motive.  Now  take  me  at  my 
word,  and  go  while  you  have  the  chance.  I  may  change 
my  mind  in  a  moment,  and  then " 

He  stopped  and  did  not  say  any  more.  At  a  sign, 
Prendergast  clapped  a  thick  bandage  over  my  eyes,  an 
other  man  did  the  same  for  Beckenham ;  a  man  on 
either  side  of  me  took  my  arms,  and  next  moment  we 
had  passed  out  of  the  room,  and  before  I  could  have 
counted  fifty  were  in  the  cool  air  of  the  open  street. 

How  long  we  were  walking  after  leaving  the  house  I 
could  not  say,  but  at  last  our  escort  called  a  halt.  Pren 
dergast  was  evidently  in  command,  for  he  said  : 

"Gentlemen,  before  we  leave  you  you  will  renew 
your  words  of  honour  not  to  remove  your  bandages  for 
five  full  minutes?" 

We  complied  with  his  request ;  instantly  our  arms 
were  released,  and  a  moment  later  we  heard  our  captors 
leaving  us.  The  minutes  went  slowly  by.  Presently 
Beckenham  said : 


DR.  NIKOLA  PERMITS  US  A  FREE  PASSAGE.  167 

"  How  long  do  you  think  we've  been  standing  here  ?" 

"Nearly  the  stipulated  time,  I  should  say,"  I  an 
swered.  "  However,  we'd  better  give  them  a  little 
longer,  on  chance  of  mistake." 

Again  a  silence  fell  on  us.  Then  I  tore  off  my 
bandage,  to  find  Beckenham  doing  the  same. 

"They're  gone,  and  we're  free  again,"  he  cried. 
"  Hurrah ! " 

We  shook  hands  warmly  on  our  escape  and  then 
looked  about  us.  A  ship's  bell  out  in  the  stream  chimed 
half  an  hour  after  midnight,  and  a  precious  dark  night 
it  was.  A  number  of  vessels  were  to  be  seen,  and  from 
the  noise  that  came  from  them  it  was  evident  they  were 
busy  coaling. 

"  What's  to  be  done  now  ?  "  asked  Beckenham. 

"  Find  an  hotel,  I  think,"  I  answered  ;  "  get  a  good 
night's  rest,  and  first  thing  in  the  morning  hunt  up  our 
consul  and  the  steamship  authorities." 

"  Come  along,  then.  Let's  look  for  a  place.  I  no 
ticed  one  that  should  suit  us  close  to  where  we  came 
ashore  that  day." 

Five  minutes'  walking  brought  us  to  the  house  we 
sought.  The  proprietor  was  not  very  fastidious,  and 
whatever  he  may  have  thought  of  our  appearances  he 
took  us  in  without  demur.  A  bath  and  a  good  meal 
followed,  and  then  after  a  thorough  overhauling  of  all 
the  details  connected  with  our  imprisonment  we  turned 
into  bed  resolved  to  thrash  it  out  upon  the  morrow. 

Next  morning,  true  to  our  arrangement,  as  soon  as 
breakfast  was  over,  I  set  off  for  the  steamship  compa 
ny's  office,  leaving  the  Marquis  by  himself  at  the  hotel 
for  reasons  which  had  begun  to  commend  themselves  to 
me,  and  which  will  soon  be  apparent  to  you. 

I  found  the  Saratoga's  agent  busily  at  work  in  his 


168  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

private  office.  He  was  a  tall,  thin  man,  slightly  bald, 
wearing  a  pair  of  heavy  gold  pince-nez,  and  very  slow 
and  deliberate  in  his  speech. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  began,  when  I  had  taken 
possession  of  his  proffered  chair,  "  but  did  I  understand 
my  clerk  to  say  that  your  name  was  Hatteras  ?  " 

"  That's  my  name,"  I  answered.  "  I  was  a  passenger 
in  your  boat  the  Saratoga  for  Australia  three  weeks  ago, 
but  had  the  misfortune  to  be  left  behind  when  she 
sailed." 

"  Ah !  I  remember  the  circumstances  well,"  he  said. 
"  The  young  Marquis  of  Beckenham  went  ashore  with 
you,  I  think,  and  came  within  an  ace  of  being  also  left 
behind." 

"  Within  an  ace ! "  I  cried ;  "  but  he  was  left  be 
hind." 

"  No,  no !  there  you  are  mistaken,"  was  the  astound 
ing  reply ;  "  he  would  have  been  left  behind  had  not  his 
tutor  and  I  gone  ashore  at  the  last  moment  to  look  for 
him  and  found  him  wandering  about  on  the  outskirts 
of  Arab  Town.  I  don't  remember  ever  to  have  seen  a 
man  so  angry  as  the  tutor  was,  and  no  wonder,  for  they 
only  just  got  out  to  the  boat  again  as  the  gangway  was 
being  hauled  aboard." 

"  Then  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  the  Marquis  went 
on  to  Australia  after  all ! "  I  cried.  "  And  pray  how 
did  this  interesting  young  gentleman  explain  the  fact  of 
his  losing  sight  of  me?" 

"  He  lost  you  in  a  crowd,  he  said,"  the  agent  contin 
ued.  "  It  was  a  most  extraordinary  business  altogether." 

It  certainly  was,  and  even  more  extraordinary  than 
he  imagined.  I  could  hardly  believe  my  ears.  The 
world  seemed  to  be  turned  upside  down.  I  only  know 
that  I  stumbled  out  a  few  lame  enquiries  about  the  next 


DR.  NIKOLA  PERMITS  US  A  FREE   PASSAGE.  169 

boat  sailing  for  Australia,  and  what  would  be  done  with 
my  baggage  on  its  arrival  at  the  other  end,  and  then 
made  my  way  as  best  I  could  out  of  the  office. 

Hastening  back  to  the  hotel,  I  told  my  story  from 
beginning  to  end  to  my  astonished  companion,  who  sat 
on  his  bed  listening  open-mouthed.  When  I  had  fin 
ished  he  said  feebly : 

"  But  what  does  it  all  mean  ?  Tell  me  that !  What 
does  it  mean  ?  " 

"  It  means,"  I  answered,  "  that  our  notion  about 
Nikola's  abducting  us  in  order  to  blackmail  your  father 
was  altogether  wrong,  and,  if  you  ask  me,  I  should  say 
not  half  picturesque  enough.  No,  no !  this  mystery  is  a 
bigger  one  by  a  hundred  times  than  even  we  expected, 
and  there  are  more  men  in  it  than  ourselves.  It  remains 
with  you  to  say  whether  you  will  assist  in  the  attempt  to 
unravel  it  or  not.  Oh !  my  beauty  Baxter,  if  ever  I  get 
hold  of  you  !  What  a  meeting  that  will  be  ! " 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  saying  it  remains  with  me  to 
say  whether  we  shall  unravel  it  or  not  ?  Do  I  under 
stand  you  to  mean  that  you  intend  following  it  up  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do.  Nikola  and  Baxter  between  them 
have  completely  done  me — now  I'm  going  to  do  my  best 
to  do  them.  By  Jove  ! " 

"  What  is  it  now  ?  " 

"  I  see  it  all  as  plain  as  a  pikestaff.  I  understand 
exactly  now  why  Baxter  came  for  you,  why  he  tele 
graphed  that  the  train  was  laid,  why  I  was  drugged  in 
Plymouth,  why  you  were  seasick  between  Naples  and 
this  place,  and  why  we  were  both  kidnapped  so  mys 
teriously  ! " 

"  Then  explain,  for  mercy's  sake  ! " 

"I  will.  See  here.  In  the  first  place,  remember 
your  father's  peculiar  education  of  yourself.  If  you 


170  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

consider  that  you  will  see  that  you  are  the  only  young 
nobleman  of  high  rank  whose  face  is  not  well  known  to 
his  brother  Peers.  That  being  so,  Nikola  wants  to  pro 
cure  you  for  some  purpose  of  his  own  in  Australia. 
Your  father  advertises  for  a  tutor ;  he  sends  one  of  his 
agents — Baxter — to  secure  the  position.  Baxter,  at 
Nikola's  instruction,  puts  into  your  head  a  desire  for 
travel.  You  pester  your  father  for  the  necessary  per 
mission.  Just  as  this  is  granted  I  come  upon  the  scene. 
Baxter  suspects  me.  He  telegraphs  to  Nikola  'The 
train  is  laid,'  which  means  that  he  has  begun  to  lay  the 
seeds  of  a  desire  for  travel,  when  a  third  party  steps  in — 
in  other  words,  I  am  the  new  danger  that  has  arisen. 
He  arranges  your  sailing,  and  all  promises  to  go  well. 
Then  Dr.  Nikola  finds  out  I  intend  going  in  the  same 
boat.  He  tries  to  prevent  me ;  and  I — by  Jove !  I  see 
another  thing.  "Why  did  Baxter  suggest  that  you  should 
cross  the  Continent  and  join  the  boat  at  Naples  ?  Why, 
simply  because  if  you  had  started  from  Plymouth  you 
would  soon  have  got  over  your  sickness,  if  you  had  ever 
been  ill  at  all,  and  in  that  case  the  passengers  would 
have  become  thoroughly  familiar  with  your  face  by  the 
time  you  reached  Port  Said.  That  would  never  have 
done,  so  he  takes  you  to  Naples,  drugs  you  next  morn 
ing — for  you  must  remember  you  were  ill  after  the  coffee 
he  gave  you — and  by  that  means  keeps  you  ill  and  con 
fined  to  your  cabin  throughout  the  entire  passage  to 
Port  Said.  Then  he  persuades  you  to  go  ashore  with 
me.  You  do  so,  with  what  result  you  know.  Presently 
he  begins  to  bewail  your  non-return,  invites  the  agent  to 
help  in  the  search.  They  set  off,  and  eventually  find 
you  near  the  Arab  quarter.  You  must  remember  that 
neither  the  agent,  the  captain,  nor  the  passengers  have 
seen  you,  save  at  night,  so  the  substitute,  who  is  certain 


DR.  NIKOLA  PERMITS  US  A  FREE  PASSAGE. 

to  have  been  well  chosen  and  schooled  for  the  part  he  is 
to  play,  is  not  found  out.  Then  the  boat  goes  on  her 
way,  while  we  are  left  behind  languishing  in  durance 
vile." 

"Do  you  really  think  those  are  the  facts  of  the 
case?" 

"  Upon  my  word,  I  do  ! " 

"  Then  what  do  you  advise  me  to  do  ?  Eemember, 
Baxter  has  letters  to  the  different  Governors  from  my 
father." 

"  I  know  what  I  should  do  myself ! " 

"  Go  to  the  consul  and  get  him  to  warn  the  authori 
ties  in  Australia,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  No.  That  would  do  little  or  no  good — remember, 
they've  three  weeks'  start  of  us." 

"  Then  what  shall  we  do  ?  I'm  in  your  hands 
entirely,  and  whatever  you  advise  I  promise  you  I'll 
do." 

"  If  I  were  you  I  should  doff  my  title,  take  another 
name,  and  set  sail  with  me  for  Australia.  Once  there, 
we'll  put  up  in  some  quiet  place  and  set  ourselves  to  un 
mask  these  rascals  and  to  defeat  their  little  game  what 
ever  it  may  be.  Are  you  prepared  for  so  much  excite 
ment  as  that  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  am.  Come  what  may,  I'll  go  with  you, 
and  there's  my  hand  on  it." 

"  Then  we'll  catch  the  next  boat — not  a  mail-steamer 
— that  sails  for  an  Australian  port,  and  once  ashore  there 
we'll  set  the  ball  a-rolling  with  a  vengeance." 

"  That  scoundrel  Baxter !  I'm  not  vindictive  as  a 
rule,  but  I  feel  I  should  like  to  punish  him." 

"Well,  if  they've  not  flown  by  the  time  we  reach 
Australia,  you'll  probably  be  able  to  gratify  your  wish. 
It's  Nikola,  however,  I  want." 
12 


172  A   BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Beckenham  shuddered  as  I  mentioned  the  Doctor's 
name.  So  to  change  the  subject  I  said  : 

"  I'm  going  for  another  walk  now.  Would  you  care 
to  accompany  me  ?  " 

"  Where  are  you  going  ?  "  he  asked. 

"I'm  off  to  try  and  find  the  house  where  we  were 
shut  up,"  I  answered.  "  I  want  to  be  able  to  locate  it 
for  future  reference,  if  necessary." 

"  Is  it  safe  to  go  near  it,  do  you  think  ?" 

"In  broad  daylight,  yes!  But  just  to  make  sure 
we'll  buy  a  couple  of  revolvers  on  the  way.  And  if  it 
becomes  necessary  we'll  use  them." 

"  Come  along,  then." 

With  that  we  left  our  hotel  and  set  off  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  Casino,  stopping,  however,  on  the  way  to 
make  the  purchases  above  referred  to. 

On  arrival  at  the  place  we  sought,  we  stopped  and 
looked  about  us.  I  pointed  to  a  street  on  our  right. 

"  That  was  the  way  we  came  from  the  mosque,"  I 
said.  Then,  pointing  to  a  narrow  alley  way  almost 
opposite  where  we  were,  I  continued,  "And  that  was 
where  I  saw  Nikola  standing  watching  us.  Now  when 
we  came  out  of  this  building  we  turned  to  our  left  hand, 
and,  if  I  mistake  not,  went  off  in  that  direction.  I 
think,  if  you've  no  objection,  we'll  go  that  way  now." 

W'e  accordingly  set  off  at  a  good  pace,  and  after 
awhile  arrived  at  the  spot  where  the  guide  had  caught 
us  up.  It  looked  a  miserably  dirty  neighbourhood  in 
the  bright  sunlight.  Beckenham  looked  round  him 
thoughtfully,  and  finally  said  : 

"  Now  we  turn  to  our  right,  I  think." 

"  Quite  so.     Come  along ! " 

We  passed  down  one  thoroughfare  and  up  another, 
and  at  last  reached  the  spot  where  I  had  commented  on 


DR.  NIKOLA  PERMITS   US  A  FREE   PASSAGE. 

the  sign-boards,  and  where  we  had  been  garotted.  Surely 
the  house  must  be  near  at  hand  now.  But  though  we 
hunted  high  and  low,  up  one  street  and  down  another, 
not  a  single  trace  of  any  building  answering  the  descrip 
tion  of  the  one  we  wanted  could  we  discover.  At  last, 
after  nearly  an  hour's  search,  we  were  obliged  to  give  it 
up,  and  return  to  our  hotel,  unsuccessful. 

As  we  finished  lunch  a  large  steamer  made  her  ap 
pearance  in  the  harbour,  and  brought  up  opposite  the 
town.  We  questioned  our  landlord,  who  was  an  author 
ity  on  the  subject,  and  he  informed  us  that  she  was  the 
s.  s.  Pescadore^  of  Hull,  bound  to  Melbourne. 

Hearing  this  we  immediately  chartered  a  boat,  pulled 
off  to  her,  and  interviewed  the  captain.  As  good  luck 
would  have  it,  he  had  room  for  a  couple  of  passengers. 
We  therefore  paid  the  passage  money  there  and  then, 
provided  ourselves  with  a  few  necessaries,  articles  of 
attire,  toilet,  etc.,  and  shortly  before  nightfall  steamed 
into  the  Canal.  Port  Said  was  a  thing  of  the  past. 
Our  eventful  journey  was  resumed — what  was  the  end 
of  it  all  to  be? 


PABT  II. 
CHAPTER  I. 

WE   BEACH   AUSTRALIA,   AND  THE   RESULT. 

THE  Pescadore^  if  she  was  slow,  was  certainly  sure, 
and  so  the  thirty-sixth  day  after  our  departure  from 
Port  Said,  as'  recorded  in  the  previous  chapter,  she 
landed  us  safe  and  sound  at  Williamstown,  which,  as  all 
the  Australian  world  knows,  is  one  of  the  principal  rail 
way  termini,  and  within  an  hour's  journey,  of  Mel 
bourne.  Throughout  the  voyage  nothing  occurred 
worth  chronicling,  if  I  except  the  curious  behaviour  of 
Lord  Beckenham,  who,  for  the  first  week  or  so,  seemed 
sunk  in  a  deep  stupor  from  which  neither  chaff  nor 
sympathy  could  rouse  him.  From  morning  till  night  he 
mooned  aimlessly  about  the  decks,  had  visibly  to  pull 
himself  together  to  answer  such  questions  as  might  be 
addressed  to  him,  and  never  by  any  chance  sustained  a 
conversation  further  than  a  few  odd  sentences.  To  such 
a  pitch  did  this  depression  at  last  bring  him  that,  the 
day  after  we  left  Aden,  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  take  him  to 
task  and  try  to  bully  or  coax  him  out  of  it.  We  were 
standing  at  the  time  under  the  bridge  and  a  little  for- 
rard  of  the  chart-room. 

"  Come,"  I  said,  "  I  want  to  know  what's  the  matter 
with  you  ?  You've  been  giving  us  all  the  miserables 
lately,  and  from  the  look  of  your  face  at  the  present 

174 


WE  REACH  AUSTRALIA,  AND  THE  RESULT. 

moment  I'm  inclined  to  believe  it's  going  to  continue. 
Out  with  it !  Are  you  home-sick,  or  has  the  monotony 
of  this  voyage  been  too  much  for  you  ?" 

He  looked  into  my  face  rather  curiously  I  thought, 
and  then  said  : 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,  I'm  afraid  you'll  think  me  an  awful 
idiot  when  I  do  tell  you,  but  the  truth  is  I've  got  Dr. 
Nikola's  face  on  my  brain,  and  do  what  I  will  I  cannot 
rid  myself  of  it.  Those  great,  dark,  searching  eyes,  as 
we  saw  them  look  up  at  us  in  that  terrible  room,  have 
got  on  my  nerves  and  I  can  think  of  nothing  else. 
They  haunt  me  night  and  day ! " 

"  Oh,  that's  all  fancy ! "  I  cried.  "  Why  should  you 
be  frightened  of  him  ?  Nikola,  in  spite  of  his  demoni 
acal  cleverness,  is  only  a  man,  and  even  then  you  may 
consider  we've  seen  the  last  of  him.  So  cheer  up,  take 
as  much  exercise  as  you  possibly  can,  and  believe  me, 
you'll  soon  forget  all  about  him." 

But  it  was  no  use  arguing  with  him.  Nikola  had 
had  an  effect  on  him  that  was  little  short  of  marvellous, 
and  it  was  not  until  we  had  well  turned  the  Leuwin  and 
were  safely  in  Australian  waters  that  he  in  any  way  re 
covered  his  former  spirits.  And  here,  lest  you  should 
give  me  credit  for  a  bravery  I  did  not  possess,  I  must 
own  that  I,  myself,  was  more  than  a  little  afraid  of  an 
other  meeting  with  Nikola.  I  had  now  had  four  op 
portunities  of  judging  that  gentleman's  cleverness — once 
in  the  restaurant  off  Oxford  Street,  once  in  the  "  Green 
Sailor"  public-house  in  the  East  India  Dock  Road,  once 
in  the  West  of  England  express,  and  lastly,  in  the  house 
in  Port  Said.  I  had  no  desire  to  come  to  close  quarters 
with  him  again  I  can  assure  you. 

Arriving  in  Melbourne  we  caught  the  afternoon  ex 
press  for  Sydney  and  reached  that  city  the  following 


176  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

morning.  By  the  time  we  arrived  at  our  destination  we 
had  held  many  consultations  over  our  future,  and  the 
net  result  was  a  decision  to  look  for  a  quiet  hotel  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  city,  and  then  to  attempt  to  discover 
what  the  mystery,  in  which  we  had  been  so  deeply  in 
volved,  might  mean.  The  merits  of  all  the  various 
suburbs  were  severally  discussed,  though  I  knew  but  lit 
tle  about  them,  and  the  Marquis  less.  Paramatta,  Pen- 
rith,  Woolahra,  Balmain,  and  even  many  of  the  bays  and 
harbours  received  attention,  until  we  decided  on  Bal 
main  as  the  most  likely  place  to  answer  our  purpose. 

Having  come  to  a  decision  we  crossed  Dai-ling  har 
bour,  and  after  a  little  hunting  about  discovered  a  small 
but  comfortable  hotel  situated  in  a  side  street  and  called 
the  "  General  Officer."  Here  we  booked  rooms,  de 
posited  our  meagre  baggage,  and  having  installed  our 
selves,  sat  down  and  discussed  the  situation. 

"  So  this  is  Sydney,"  said  Beckenham,  as  he  spoke 
stretching  himself  out  comfortably  upon  the  sofa  by  the 
window.  "  And  now  that  we've  got  here,  what's  to  be 
done  first?" 

"  Have  lunch,"  I  answered  promptly. 

"  And  then  ?  "  he  continued. 

"  Hunt  up  a  public  library  and  take  a  glimpse  of  the 
Morning  Herald's  back  numbers.  They  will  tell  us  a 
good  deal,  though  not  all  we  want  to  know.  Then  we'll 
make  a  few  inquiries'.  To-morrow  morning  I  shall  ask 
you  to  excuse  me  for  a  couple  of  hours.  But  in  the 
afternoon  we  ought  to  have  acquired  sufficient  informa 
tion  to  enable  us  to  make  a  definite  start  on  what  we've 
got  to  do." 

"  You  mean  enough  to  enable  us  to  expose  these  ras 
cals." 

"  Quite  so.     What  else  are  we  here  for  ?  " 


WE  REACH  AUSTRALIA,  AND  THE  RESULT.  177 

"  Then  let's  have  lunch  at  once  and  be  off.  I'm  all 
eagerness  to  commence." 

We  accordingly  ordered  lunch,  and  when  it  was  fin 
ished  set  off  in  search  of  a  public  library.  Having  found 
it — and  it  was  not  a  very  difficult  matter — we  sought  the 
reading  room  and  made  for  a  stand  of  Sydney  Morning 
Heralds  in  the  corner.  Somehow  I  felt  as  certain  of  find 
ing  what  I  wanted  there  as  any  man  could  possibly  be, 
and  as  it  happened  I  was  not  destined  to  be  disappointed. 
On  the  second  page,  surmounted  by  heading  in  bold 
type,  was  a  long  report  of  a  horse  show,  held  the  previ 
ous  afternoon,  at  which  it  appeared  a  large  viceregal  and 
fashionable  party  was  present.  It  included  his  Excel 
lency  the  Governor  and  the  Countess  of  Amberley,  the 
Ladies  Hand  and  Ermyntrude,  their  daughters,  the  Mar 
quis  of  Beckenham,  Captain  Barrenden,  an  aide-de 
camp,  and  Mr.  Baxter.  In  a  voice  that  I  hardly  recog 
nised  as  my  own,  so  shaken  was  it  with  excitement,  I 
called  Beckenham  to  my  side  and  pointed  out  to  him 
his  name.  He  stared  and  stared  hardly  able  to  believe 
his  eyes. 

"  What  does  it  mean  ?  "  he  whispered,  just  as  he  had 
done  in  Port  Said.  "  What  does  it  mean  ?  " 

I  led  him  out  of  the  building  before  I  answered  and 
then  clapped  him  on  the  shoulder. 

"  It  means,  my  boy,"  I  said,  "  that  there's  been  a 
hitch  somewhere  in  their  arrangements,  and  that  we're 
not  too  late  to  circumvent  them  after  all." 

"But  where  do  you  think  they  are  staying — these 
two  scoundrels  ?  " 

"  At  Government  House  to  be  sure.  Didn't  you  see 
that  the  report  said,  '  The  Eiui  and  Countess  of  Amber- 
ley  and  a  distinguished  party  from  Government  House, 
including  the  Marquis  of  Beckenham,'  etc.  ?  " 


178  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  Then  let  us  go  to  Government  House  at  once  and 
unmask  them.  That  is  our  bounden  duty  to  society." 

"  Then  all  I  can  say  is  that  if  it  is  our  duty  to  so 
ciety,  society  will  have  to  wait.  No,  no  !  We  must  find 
out  first  what  their  little  game  is.  That  once  decided, 
the  unmasking  will  fall  in  as  a  natural  sequence.  Don't 
you  understand  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  I  don't  quite.  However  I  expect  you're 
right." 

By  this  time  we  were  back  again  at  the  ferry.  It 
was  not  time  for  the  boat  to  start,  so  while  we  were  wait 
ing  we  amused  ourselves  staring  at  the  placards.  Then  a 
large  theatrical  poster  caught  my  eye  and  drew  me  to 
wards  it.  It  announced  a  grand  viceregal  "  command  " 
night  at  one  of  the  principal  theatres  for  that  very  even 
ing,  and  still  further  set  forth  the  fact  that  the  most 
noble  the  Marquis  of  Beckenham  would  be  amongst  the 
distinguished  company  present. 

"  Here  we  are,"  I  called  to  my  companion,  who  was 
at  a  little  distance.  "  We'll  certainly  go  to  this.  The 
Marquis  of  Beckenham  shall  honour  it  with  his  patronage 
and  presence  after  all." 

Noting  the  name  and  address  of  the  theatre,  we  went 
back  to  our  hotel  for  dinner,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  fin 
ished  returned  to  the  city  to  seek  the  theatre. 

When  we  entered  it  the  house  was  crowded,  and  the 
arrival  of  the  Government  House  party  was  every  mo 
ment  expected.  Presently  there  was  a  hush,  then  the 
orchestra  and  audience  rose  while  God  save  the  Queen 
was  played,  and  the  Governor  and  a  brilliant  party  en 
tered  the  viceregal  box.  You  may  be  sure  of  all  that 
vast  concourse  of  people  there  were  none  who  stared 
harder  than  Beckenham  and  myself.  And  it  was  cer 
tainly  enough  to  make  any  man  stare,  for  there,  sitting 


WE  REACH  AUSTRALIA,  AND  THE  RESULT.  179 

on  her  ladyship's  right  hand,  faultlessly  dressed,  was 
the  exact  image  of  the  young  man  by  my  side.  The 
likeness  was  so  extraordinary  that  for  a  moment  I  could 
hardly  believe  that  Beckenham  had  not  left  me  to  go 
up  and  take  his  seat  there.  And  if  I  was  struck  by 
the  resemblance  you  may  be  sure  that  he  was  a  dozen 
times  more  so.  Indeed  his  bewilderment  was  most 
comical,  and  must  have  struck  those  people  round  us, 
who  were  watching,  as  something  altogether  extraor 
dinary.  I  looked  again  and  could  just  discern  behind 
the  front  row  the  smug,  self-satisfied  face  of  the  tutor 
Baxter.  Then  the  play  commenced,  and  we  were  com 
pelled  to  turn  and  give  it  our  attention. 

Here  I  must  stop  to  chronicle  one  circumstance  that 
throughout  the  day  had  struck  me  as  peculiar.  When 
our  vessel  arrived  at  Williamstown  it  so  happened  that 
we  had  travelled  up  in  the  train  to  Melbourne  with  a 
tall,  handsome,  well-dressed  man  of  about  thirty  years 
of  age.  Whether  he,  like  ourselves,  was  a  new  arrival, 
and  only  passing  through  Melbourne,  I  cannot  say ;  at 
any  rate  he  went  on  to  Sydney  in  the  mail  train  with  us. 
Then  we  lost  sight  of  him,  only  to  find  him  standing 
near  the  public  library  when  we  had  emerged  from  it 
that  afternoon,  and  now  here  he  was  sitting  in  the  stalls 
of  the  theatre  not  half  a  dozen  chairs  from  us.  Whether 
this  continual  companionship  was  designed  or  only  acci 
dental,  I  could  not  of  course  say,  but  I  must  own  that  I 
did  not  like  the  look  of  it.  Could  it  be  possible  that 
Nikola,  learning  our  departure  for  Australia  in  the 
Pescadore^  had  cabled  from  Port  Said  to  this  man  to 
watch  us?  It  seemed  hardly  likely,  and  yet  we  had 
had  sufficient  experience  of  Nikola  to  teach  us  not  to 
consider  anything  he  might  do  impossible. 

The  performance  over,  we  left  the  theatre  and  set  off 


180  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

for  the  ferry,  only  reaching  it  just  as  the  boat  was  in 
the  act  of  casting  off.  As  it  was  I  had  to  jump  for  it, 
and  on  reaching  the  deck  should  have  fallen  in  a  heap 
but  for  a  helping  hand  stretched  out  to  me.  I  looked 
up  to  tender  my  thanks  when  to  my  intense  surprise  I 
discovered  my  benefactor  was  none  other  than  the  man 
to  whom  I  have  just  been  referring.  His  surprise 
seemed  even  greater  than  mine,  and  muttering  some 
thing  about  "  a  narrow  shave  "  he  turned  and  walked 
quickly  aft.  My  mind  was  now  made  up,  and  I  re 
ported  my  discovery  to  Beckenham,  pointing  out  the 
man  and  warning  him  to  watch  for  him  when  he  was 
abroad  without  me.  This  he  promised  to  do. 

Next  morning  I  donned  my  best  attire  (my  luggage 
having  safely  arrived),  and  shortly  before  eleven  bade 
Beckenham  good-bye  and  betook  myself  to  Potts  Point 
to  call  upon  the  Wetherells.  It  would  be  impossible  for 
me  to  say  with  what  variety  of  emotions  I  trod  that 
well-remembered  street,  crossed  the  garden,  and  ap 
proached  the  ponderous  front  door,  which  had  always 
seemed  to  me  so  typical  of  Mr.  Wetherell  himself. 
The  same  butler  who  had  opened  the  door  to  me  on 
the  previous  occasion  opened  it  now,  and  when  I  asked 
if  Miss  Wetherell  were  at  home  gravely  answered, "  Yes, 
sir,"  and  invited  me  to  enter.  Though  I  had  called 
there  before  it  must  be  remembered  that  this  was  the 
first  time  I  had  been  inside  the  house,  and  I  must  own 
the  display  of  wealth  in  the  hall  amazed  me. 

I  was  shown  into  the  drawing  room — a  large  double 
chamber  beautifully  furnished  and  with  an  elegantly 
painted  ceiling — while  the  butler  went  in  search  of  his 
mistress.  A  few  minutes  later  I  heard  a  light  footstep 
outside,  a  hand  was  placed  upon  the  handle  of  the  door, 
and  before  I  could  have  counted  ten  Phyllis — my  Phyl- 


WE   REACH  AUSTRALIA,  AND  THE  RESULT.  181 

lis !  was  in  the  room  and  iu  my  arms!  Over  the  next 
five  minutes,  gentle  reader,  we  will  draw  a  curtain  with 
your  kind  permission.  If  you  have  ever  met  your  sweet 
heart  after  an  absence  of  several  months  you  will  readily 
understand  why ! 

When  we  became  rational  again  I  led  Phyllis  to  a 
sofa,  and,  seating  myself  beside  her,  asked  if  her  father 
had  in  any  way  relented  towards  me.  At  this  she 
looked  very  unhappy,  and  for  a  moment  I  thought  was 
going  to  burst  into  tears. 

"  Why  !  Wrhat  is  the  matter,  Phyllis,  my  dar 
ling  ! "  I  cried  in  sincere  alarm.  "  What  is  troubling 
you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  unhappy,"  she  replied.  "  Dick,  there 
is  a  gentleman  in  Sydney  now  to  whom  papa  has  taken 
an  enormous  fancy,  and  he  is  exerting  all  his  influence 
over  me  to  induce  me  to  marry  him." 

"  The  deuce  he  is,  and  pray  who  may "  but  I  got 

no  farther  in  my  inquiries,  for  at  that  moment  I  caught 
the  sound  of  a  footstep  in  the  hall,  and  next  moment 
Mr.  Wetherell  opened  the  door.  He  remained  for  a 
brief  period  in  the  doorway,  looking  from  one  to  the 
other  of  us  without  speaking,  then  he  advanced,  saying, 
"  Mr.  Hatteras,  be  so  good  as  to  tell  me  when  this  per 
secution  will  cease?  Am  I  not  even  to  be  free  from 
you  in  my  own  house  ?  Flesh  and  blood  won't  stand 
it,  I  tell  you,  sir,  won't  stand  it!  You  pursued  my 
daughter  to  England  in  a  most  ungentlemanly  fashion, 
and  now  you  have  followed  her  out  here  again." 

"  Just  as  I  shall  continue  to  follow  her  all  my  life, 
Mr.  Wetherell,"  I  replied,  warmly,  "  wherever  you  may 
take  her.  I  told  you  on  board  the  Orizaba,  months  ago, 
that  I  loved  her ;  well  I  love  her  ten  thousand  times 
more  now.  She  loves  me — won't  you  hear  her  tell  you 


182  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

so?      Why   then   should  you   endeavour    to    keep    us 
apart?" 

"  Because  an  alliance  with  you,  sir,  is  distasteful  to 
me  in  every  possible  way.  I  have  other  and  more  am 
bitious  views  for  my  daughter  you  must  learn."  Here 
Phyllis  could  keep  silence  no  longer,  and  broke  in 
with — 

"  If  you  mean  by  that  that  you  will  force  me  into 
this  hateful  marriage  with  a  man  I  despise,  papa,  you 
are  mistaken.  I  will  marry  no  one  but  Mr.  Hatteras, 
and  so  I  warn  you." 

"  Silence,  Miss !  How  dare  you  adopt  that  tone 
with  me  !  You  will  do  as  I  wish  in  this  and  all  other 
matters,  and  so  we'll  have  no  more  talk  about  it.  Now 
Mr.  Hatteras,  you  have  heard  what  I  have  to  say,  and  I 
warn  you  that,  if  you  persist  in  this  conduct,  I'll  see  if 
something  can't  be  found  in  the  law  to  put  a  stop  to  it. 
Meanwhile,  if  you  as  much  as  show  your  nose  in  my 
grounds  again  I'll  have  my  servants  throw  you  out  into 
the  street !  Good-day." 

Unjust  as  his  conduct  was  to  me  there  was  nothing 
for  it  but  to  submit,  so  picking  up  my  hat  I  bade  poor 
little  frightened  Phyllis  farewell  and  went  towards  the 
door.  But  before  taking  my  departure  I  was  deter 
mined  to  have  one  final  shot  at  her  irascible  parent,  so 
I  said,  "  Mr.  Wetherel],  I  have  warned  you  before,  and 
I  do  so  again :  your  daughter  loves  me,  and  come  what 
may  I  will  make  her  my  wi'fe.  She  is  her  own  mistress, 
and  you  cannot  force  her  into  marrying  anyone  against 
her  will.  Neither  can  you  prevent  her  marrying  me  if 
she  wishes  it.  You  will  be  sorry  some  day  that  you 
have  behaved  like  this  to  me." 

But  the  only  answer  he  vouchsafed  was  a  stormy 
one. 


WE  REACH  AUSTRALIA,   AND  THE   RESULT.  183 

"  Leave  my  house  this  instant.  Not  another  word, 
sir,  or  I'll  call  my  servants  to  my  assistance  !  " 

The  stately  old  butler  opened  the  front  door  for  me, 
and  assuming  as  dignified  an  air  as  was  possible,  con 
sidering  that  I  was  feeling  the  very  reverse  of  calm,  I 
went  down  the  drive  and  passed  out  into  the  street. 

When  I  reached  home  again  Beckenham  was  out, 
for  which  I  was  not  sorry  as  I  wanted  to  have  a  good 
quiet  think  by  myself.  So  lighting  a  cigar  I  pulled  a 
chair  into  the  verandah  and  fell  to  work.  But  I  could 
make  nothing  of  the  situation,  save  that,  by  my  inter 
view  this  morning,  my  position  with  the  father  was, 
if  possible,  rendered  even  more  hopeless  than  before. 
Who  and  what  was  this  more  fortunate  suitor  ?  Would 
it  be  any  use  my  going  to  him  and — but  no,  that  was 
clearly  impossible.  Could  I  induce  Phyllis  to  run 
away?  That  was  possible,  of  course,  but  I  rather 
doubted  if  she  would  care  to  take  such  an  extreme  step 
until  every  other  means  had  proved  unsuccessful.  Then 
what  was  to  be  done  ?  I  began  to  wish  that  Beckenham 
would  return  in  order  that  we  might  consult  together. 

Half-an-hour  later  our  lunch  was  ready,  but  still  no 
sign  came  of  the  youth.  Where  could  he  have  got  to  ? 
I  waited  an  hour  and  then  fell  to  work.  Three  o'clock 
arrived  and  still  no  sign — four,  five,  and  even  six.  By 
this  time  I  was  in  a  fever  of  perplexity.  I  remembered 
the  existence  of  the  man  who  had  followed  us  from  Mel 
bourne,  and  Beckenham's  trusting  good  nature.  Then 
and  there  I  resolved,  if  he  did  not  return  before  half- 
past  seven,  to  set  off  for  the  nearest  police  station  and 
have  a  search  made  for  him.  Slowly  the  large  hand  of 
the  clock  went  round,  and  when,  at  the  time  stated,  he 
had  not  appeared,  I  donned  my  hat,  and,  inquiring  the 
way,  set  off  for  the  home  of  the  law. 


184  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

On  stating  my  business  I  was  immediately  conducted 
to  the  inspector  in  charge,  who  questioned  me  very 
closely  as  to  Beckenham's  appearance,  age,  profession, 
etc.  Having  done  this,  he  said  : 

"  But  what  reason  have  yon,  sir,  for  supposing  that 
the  young  man  has  been  done  away  with  ?  He  has  only 
been  absent  from  his  abode,  according  to  your  statement, 
about  eight  or  nine  hours." 

"  Simply  because,"  I  answered,  "  I  have  the  best  of 
reasons  for  knowing  that  ever  since  his  arrival  in  Aus 
tralia  he  has  been  shadowed.  This  morning  he  said  he 
would  only  go  for  a  short  stroll  before  lunch,  and  I  am 
positively  certain,  knowing  my  anxiety  about  him,  he 
would  not  have  remained  away  so  long  of  his  own  ac 
cord  without  communicating  with  me." 

"  Is  there  any  motive  you  can  assign  for  the  shadow 
ing  you  speak  of  ?  " 

"  My  friend  is  heir  to  an  enormous  property  in  Eng 
land.  Perhaps  that  may  assist  you  in  discovering  one  ?  " 

"Very  possibly.  But  still  I  am  inclined  to  think 
you  are  a  little  hasty  in  coming  to  so  terrible  a  conclu 
sion,  Mr. ?  " 

"  Hatteras  is  my  name,  and  I  am  staying  at  the 
*  General  Officer '  Hotel  in  Palgrave  Street." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Hatteras,  if  I  were  you  I  would  go  back 
to  your  hotel.  You  will  probably  find  your  friend  there 
eating  his  dinner  and  thinking  about  instituting  a  search 
for  you.  If,  however,  he  has  not  turned  up,  and  doesn't 
do  so  by  to-morrow  morning,  call  here  again  and  report 
the  matter,  and  I  will  give  you  every  assistance  in  my 
power." 

Thanking  him  for  his  courtesy  I  left  the  station  and 
walked  quickly  back  to  the  hotel,  hoping  to  find  Beck- 
enham  safely  returned  and  at  his  dinner.  But  when 


WE   REACH  AUSTRALIA,  AND  THE   RESULT.  185 

the  landlady  met  me  on  the  verandah  and  asked  if  I 
had  any  news  of  my  friend,  I  realised  that  a  disappoint 
ment  was  in  store  for  me.  The  excitement  and  worry 
were  getting  too  much  for  me.  What  with  Nikola,  the 
spy,  Beckenham,  Phyllis,  the  unknown  lover,  and  old 
Mr.  Wetherell,  I  had  more  than  enough  to  keep  my 
hrain  occupied.  I  sat  down  on  a  chair  on  the  verandah 
with  a  sigh  and  reviewed  the  whole  case.  Nine  o'clock 
struck  by  the  time  my  reverie  was  finished.  Just  as  I 
did  so  a  newspaper  boy  came  down  the  street  lustily  cry 
ing  his  wares.  To  divert  my  mind  from  its  unpleasant 
thoughts  I  called  him  up  and  bought  an  Evening  Mer 
cury.  Having  done  so,  I  passed  into  my  sitting-room 
to  read  it.  The  first,  second,  and  third  pages  held  noth 
ing  of  much  interest  for  me,  but  on  the  fourth  was  an 
item  that  was  astonishing  enough  to  make  my  hair 
stand  on  end.  It  was  written  in  horrible  journalese, 
and  ran  as  follows : 

RUMOURED  IMPORTANT  ENGAGEMENT  IN  HIGH 

LIFE. 

We  have  it  on  the  very  best  authority  that  an  engagement  will 
shortly  be  announced  between  a  certain  illustrious  young  noble 
man,  now  a  visitor  in  our  city,  and  the  beautiful  daughter  of  one 
of  Sydney's  most  prominent  politicians,  who  has  lately  returned 
from  a  visit  to  England.  The  Evening  Mercury  tenders  the 
young  couple  their  sincerest  congratulations. 

Could  this  be  the  solution  of  the  whole  mystery  9 
Could  it  be  that  the  engagement  of  Baxter,  the  tele 
gram,  the  idea  of  travel,  the  dragging,  the  imprison 
ment  in  Port  Said,  the  substitution  of  the  false  mar 
quis,  were  all  means  to  this  end  ?  Was  it  possible  that 
this  man  who  was  masquerading  as  a  man  of  title  was 
to  marry  Phyllis  (for  there  could  be  no  possible  doubt 
as  to  the  persons  to  whom  that  paragraph  referred)  ? 


186  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

The  very  thought  of  such  a  thing  brought  the  perspira 
tion  streaming  out  on  my  face. 

There  must  be  no  delay  now  in  telling  all  we  knew. 
The  villains  must  be  unmasked  this  very  night.  Weth- 
erell  must  know  all  now  ;  this  very  instant ! 

As  I  came  to  this  conclusion  I  crushed  my  paper  into 
my  pocket  and  set  off,  without  a  moment's  delay,  for 
Potts  Point.  The  night  was  dark,  and  now  a  thick 
drizzle  was  falling.  Though  it  really  did  not  take  me 
very  long  it  seemed  an  eternity  before  I  reached  the 
house  and  rang  the  bell.  The  butler  opened  the  door 
and  looked  surprised  to  see  me. 

"  Is  Mr.  Wetherell  at  home  ?  "  I  asked. 

For  a  moment  he  looked  doubtful  as  to  what  he 
should  say,  then  compromising  matters,  said  he'd  see. 

"  I  know  what  that  means,"  I  said  in  reply.  "  Mr. 
"Wetherell  is  in,  but  you  don't  think  he'll  see  me.  But 
he  must !  I  have  news  for  him  of  the  very  utmost  im 
portance.  Will  you  tell  him  that  ?" 

He  left  me  and  went  along  the  hall  and  upstairs. 
Presently  he  returned  shaking  his  head. 

"  I'm  very  sorry,  sir,  but  Mr.  Wetherell's  answer  is, 
if  you  have  anything  to  say  you  must  put  it  in  writing ; 
he  cannot  see  you." 

"  But  he  must !  In  this  case  I  can  accept  no  re 
fusal.  Tell  him,  will  you,  that  the  matter  upon  which 
I  wish  to  speak  to  him  has  nothing  whatsoever  to  do 
with  myself.  I  pledge  him  my  word  on  that." 

Again  the  butler  departed,  and  once  more  I  was  left 
to  cool  my  heels  in  the  portico.  When  he  returned  it 
was  with  a  smile  upon  his  face. 

"  Mr.  Wetherell  will  be  glad  if  you  will  step  this  way, 
sir."  I  followed  him  along  the  hall  and  up  the  massive 
stone  staircase.  Arriving  at  the  top  he  opened  a  door 


WE   REACH  AUSTRALIA,  AND   THE   RESULT.  187 

on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  corridor  and  announced 
"  Mr.  Hatteras." 

Mr.  Wetherell  was  seated  in  a  low  chair  opposite  the 
fire,  and  from  the  fact  that  his  right  foot  was  resting  on 
a  sort  of  small  trestle  I  argued  that  he  was  suffering 
from  an  attack  of  his  old  enemy  the  gout. 

"  Be  good  enough  to  take  a  chair,  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he 
said,  when  the  door  had  been  closed.  "  I  must  own  I 
am  quite  at  a  loss  to  understand  what  you  can  have  to 
tell  me  of  so  much  importance  as  to  bring  you  to  my 
house  at  this  time  of  night." 

"  I  think  I  shall  be  able  to  satisfy  you  on  that  score, 
Mr.  Wetherell,"  I  replied,  taking  the  Evening  Mercury 
from  my  pocket  and  smoothing  it  out.  "  In  the  first 
place  will  you  be  good  enough  to  tell  me  if  there  is 
any  truth  in  the  inference  contained  in  that  para 
graph  ?  " 

I  handed  the  paper  to  him  and  pointed  to  the  lines 
in  question.  Having  put  up  his  glasses  he  examined  it 
carefully. 

"  I  am  sorry  they  should  have  made  it  public  so  soon, 
I  must  admit,"  he  said.  "  But  I  don't  deny  that  there 
is  a  considerable  amount  of  truth  in  what  that  para 
graph  reports." 

"  You  mean  to  say  by  that  that  you  intend  to  try  and 
marry  Phyllis — Miss  Wetherell — to  the  Marquis  of  Beck- 
enham  ?  " 

"  The  young  man  has  paid  her  a  very  considerable 
amount  of  attention  ever  since  he  arrived  in  the  colony, 
and  only  last  week  he  did  me  the  honour  of  confiding 
his  views  to  me.  You  see  I  am  candid  with  you." 

"  I  thank  you  for  it.     I  too  will  be  candid  with  you. 
Mr.  Wetherell  you  may  set  your  mind  at  rest  at  once, 
this  marriage  will  never  take  place  ! " 
13 


188  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  And  pray  be  so  good  as  to  tell  me  your  reason  for 
such  a  statement  ?  " 

"  If  you  want  it  bluntly,  because  the  young  man  now 
staying  at  Government  House  is  no  more  the  Marquis  of 
Beckenham  than  I  am.  He  is  a  fraud,  an  imposter,  a 
cheat  of  the  first  water,  put  up  to  play  his  part  by  one 
of  the  cleverest  scoundrels  unhung." 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,  this  is  really  going  too  far.  I  can 
quite  understand  your  being  jealous  of  his  lordship,  but 
I  cannot  understand  your  having  the  audacity  to  bring 
such  a  foolish  charge  against  him.  I  for  one  must  de 
cline  to  listen  to  it.  If  he  had  been  the  fraud  you  make 
him  out  to  be,  how  would  his  tutor  have  got  those  letters 
from  his  Grace  the  Duke  of  Glenbarth  ?  Do  you  imag 
ine  his  Excellency  the  Governor,  who  has  known  the 
family  all  his  life,  would  not  have  found  him  out  ere 
this  ?  No,  no,  sir  !  It  won't  do  !  If  you  think  so,  who 
has  schooled  him  so  cleverly?  Who  has  pulled  the 
strings  so  wonderfully  ?  " 

"  Why,  Nikola  to  be  sure  ! " 

Had  I  clapped  a  revolver  to  the  old  gentleman's 
head,  or  had  the  walls  opened  and  Nikola  himself 
stepped  into  the  room,  a  greater  effect  of  terror  and  con 
sternation  could  not  have  been  produced  in  the  old  gen 
tleman's  face  than  did  those  five  simple  words.  He  fell 
back  in  his  chair  gasping  for  breath,  his  complexion  be 
came  ashen  in  its  pallor,  and  for  a  moment  his  whole 
nervous  system  seemed  unstrung.  I  sprang  to  his  assist 
ance,  thinking  he  was  going  to  have  a  fit,  but  he  waived 
me  off,  and  when  he  had  recovered  himself  sufficiently 
to  speak,  said  hoarsely : 

"What  do  you  know  of  Dr.  Nikola?  Tell  me  for 
God's  sake! — what  do  you  know  of  him?  Quick, 
quick ! " 


WE  REACH  AUSTRALIA,  AND  THE  RESULT.  189 

Then  I  set  to  work  and  told  him  my  story,  from  the 
day  of  my  arrival  in  Sydney  from  Thursday  Island  up 
to  the  present  moment,  described  my  meeting  and  ac 
quaintance  with  the  real  Beckenham,  and  all  the  events 
consequent  upon  it.  He  listened,  with  an  awful  terror 
growing  on  his  face,  and  when  I  finished  my  narrative 
with  the  disappearance  of  my  friend  he  nearly  choked. 

"  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  gasped,  "  will  you  swear  this  is 
the  truth  you  are  telling  me  ?  " 

"  I  solemnly  swear  it,"  I  answered.  "And  will  do  so 
in  public  when  and  where  you  please." 

"  Then  I  beg  your  pardon  for  my  conduct  to  you. 
You  have  taken  a  noble  revenge.  I  cannot  thank  you 
sufficiently.  But  there  is  not  a  moment  to  lose.  My 
daughter  is  at  a  ball  at  Government  House  at  the  pres 
ent  moment.  I  should  have  accompanied  her,  but  my 
gout  would  not  permit  me.  Will  you  oblige  me  by  ring 
ing  that  bell  ?  " 

I  rang  the  bell  as  requested  and  then  asked  what  he 
intended  doing. 

"  Going  off  to  his  Excellency  at  once,  gout  or  no 
gout;  and  telling  him  what  you  have  told  me.  If  it  is 
as  you  have  said,  we  must  catch  these  scoundrels  and 
rescue  your  friend  without  an  instant's  delay ! " 

The  butler  here  appeared  at  the  door. 

"  Tell  Jenkins  to  put  the  gray  mare  in  my  brougham 
and  bring  her  round  at  once." 

Half  an  hour  later  we  were  at  Government  House 
waiting  in  his  Excellency's  study  for  an  interview.  The 
music  of  the  orchestra  in  the  ball-room  came  softly  in 
to  us,  and  when  Lord  Amberley  entered  the  room  he 
seemed  surprised,  as  well  he  might  be,  to  see  us.  But 
as  soon  as  he  had  heard  what  we  had  to  tell  him  his  ex 
pression  changed. 


190  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  Mr.  Wetherell,  this  is  a  very  terrible  charge  you 
bring  against  my  guest.  Do  you  think  it  can  possibly 
be  true?" 

"  I  sadly  fear  so,"  said  Mr.  Wetherell.  "  But  per 
haps  Mr.  Hatteras  will  tell  you  the  story  exactly  as  he 
told  it  to  me." 

I  did  so,  and,  when  I  had  finished,  the  Governor 
went  to  the  door  and  called  a  servant. 

"  Find  Lord  Beckenham,  Johnson,  at  once,  and  ask 
him  to  be  so  good  as  to  come  to  me  here.  Stay — on 
second  thoughts  I'll  go  and  look  for  him  myself." 

He  went  off,  leaving  us  alone  to  listen  to  the  ticking 
of  the  clock  upon  the  mantlepiece,  and  to  wonder  what 
was  going  to  happen  next.  Five  minutes  went  by  and 
then  ten,  but  still  he  did  not  return.  When  he  did  do 
so  it  was  with  a  still  more  serious  countenance. 

"  You  are  evidently  right,  gentlemen.  Neither  the 
spurious  marquis  nor  his  tutor,  Mr.  Baxter,  can  be  found 
anywhere.  I  have  discovered,  however,  that  all  their 
valuables  and  light  luggage  have  been  smuggled  out  of 
the  house  to-night  without  the  knowledge  of  my  serv 
ants.  This  is  a  very  terrible  business.  But  I  have 
given  instructions  and  the  police  will  be  communicated 
with  at  once.  And  we  must  do  our  best  to  find  the  real 
Beckenham." 

"  Lord  Amberley,"  said  Wetherell,  in  a  choking 
voice,  "  do  you  think  one  of  your  servants  could  tell  my 
daughter  to  come  to  me  at  once,  I  am  not  feeling  very 
well." 

The  Governor  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  said : 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say,  Mr.  Wetherell,  your  daughter 
left  the  House  an  hour  ago.  A  message  was  brought  to 
her  that  you  had  been  suddenly  taken  ill  and  needed 
her.  She  left  at  once." 


WE  REACH  AUSTRALIA,  AND  THE   RESULT.  191 

Wetherell's  face  was  piteous  to  see. 

"  My  God  ! "  he  cried  in  despair.  "  If  that  is  so  then 
I  am  ruined.  This  is  Nikola's  revenge." 

Then  he  uttered  a  curious  little  sigh,  moved  a  step 
forward  and  fell  in  a  dead  faint  upon  the  floor. 


CHAPTER  II. 

ON   THE   TRAIL. 

As  soon  as  Wetherell  was  able  to  speak  again  he  said 
as  feebly  as  an  old  man  of  ninety,  "  Take  me  home,  Mr. 
Hatteras,  take  me  home,  and  let  us  think  out  together 
there  what  is  best  to  be  done  to  rescue  my  poor  child." 

The  Governor  rose  to  his  feet  and  gave  him  his  arm. 

"  I  think  you're  right,  Mr.  Wetherell,"  he  said.  "  It 
is  of  course  just  probable  that  you  will  find  your  daugh 
ter  at  her  home  when  you  arrive.  God  grant  she  may 
be !  But  in  case  she  is  not  I  will  communicate  all  I 
know  to  the  Police  Commissioner  on  his  arrival,  and 
send  him  and  his  officers  on  to  you.  We  must  lose  no 
time  if  we  wish  to  stop  these  scoundrels."  Then  turn 
ing  to  me,  he  continued  :  "  Mr.  Hatteras,  it  is  by  your 
promptness  that  we  are  able  to  take  such  early  steps.  I 
shall  depend  upon  your  further  assistance  in  this  mat 
ter." 

"  You  may  do  so  with  perfect  confidence,  my  lord," 
I  answered.  "  If  you  knew  all  you  would  understand 
that  I  am  more  anxious  perhaps  than  even  you  are  to 
discover  the  whereabouts  of  the  young  lady  and  my 
unfortunate  friend." 

If  his  Excellency  thought  anything  he  did  not  give 
utterance  to  it,  and  Mr.  Wetherell's  carriage  being  at 
the  door  we  went  out  to  it  without  another  word.  As 

192 


ON  THE  TRAIL.  193 

we  stepped  into  it  Mr.  Wetherell  cried  to  the  coach 
man  : 

"  Home,  and  as  fast  as  you  can  go." 

Next  moment  we  were  being  whirled  down  the  drive 
at  a  pace  which  at  any  other  time  I  should  have  thought 
dangerous.  Throughout  the  journey  we  sat  almost 
silent  wrapped  up  in  our  anxieties  and  forebodings; 
hoping  almost  against  hope  that  when  we  arrived  at 
Potts  Point  we  should  find  Phyllis  awaiting  us  there. 
At  last  we  turned  into  the  grounds,  and  on  reaching  the 
house  I  sprang  out  and  rang  the  bell,  then  went  down 
to  help  my  companion  to  alight.  The  butler  opened 
the  door  and  descended  the  steps  to  take  the  rugs. 
Wetherell  stopped  him  almost  angrily,  crying  : 

"  Where  is  your  mistress  ?    Has  she  come  home  ?  " 

The  expression  of  surprise  on  the  man's  face  told  me, 
before  he  had  time  to  utter  a  word,  that  our  hopes  were 
not  destined  to  be  realised. 

"  Miss  Phyllis,  sir?"  the  man  said.  "  Why,  she's  at 
the  ball  at  Government  'Ouse." 

Wetherell  turned  from  him  with  a  great  sigh,  and 
taking  my  arm  went  heavily  up  the  steps  into  the  hall. 

"  Come  to  my  study,  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  said,  "  and  let 
me  confer  with  you.  For  God's  sake  don't  desert  me  in 
my  hour  of  need  ! " 

"  You  need  have  no  fear  of  that,"  I  answered.  "  If 
it  is  bad  for  you,  think  what  it  is  for  me."  And  then 
we  went  upstairs  together. 

Reaching  his  study,  Mr.  Wetherell  led  the  way  in 
and  sat  down.  On  a  side  table  I  noticed  a  decanter  of 
whisky  and  some  glasses.  Without  asking  permission  I 
went  across  to  them  and  poured  out  a  stiff  nobbier  for 
him. 

"  Drink  this,"  I  said  ;  "  it  will  pull  you  together  a 


194  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

little ;  and  you  will  want  all  your  strength  for  the  work 
that  is  before  us." 

Like  a  child  he  did  as  he  was  told,  and  then  sank 
back  into  his  chair.  I  helped  myself  to  a  glass  and  then 
went  across  to  the  hearthrug  and  stood  before  him. 

"  Now,"  I  said,  "  we  must  think  this  out  from  the 
very  beginning,  and  to  do  that  we  must  consider  every 
detail.  Have  you  any  objection  to  answering  my  ques 
tions?" 

"  Ask  any  questions  you  like,  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  re 
plied,  "  and  I  will  answer  them." 

"  In  the  first  place,  then,  how  soon  after  his  arrival 
in  the  colony  did  your  daughter  get  to  know  this  sham 
Beckenham  ?  " 

"  Three  days,"  he  answered. 

"  At  a  dance,  dinner  party,  picnic,  or  what  ?  " 

"  At  none  of  these  things.  The  young  man,  it  appears, 
had  seen  my  daughter  in  the  street,  and  being  struck  with 
her  beauty  asked  one  of  the  aides-de-camp  at  Govern 
ment  House,  with  whom  we  were  on  intimate  terms,  to 
bring  him  to  call.  At  the  time,  I  remember,  I  thought 
it  a  particularly  friendly  action  on  his  part." 

"  I  don't  doubt  it,"  I  answered.  «  Well  that  I  think 
should  tell  us  one  thing." 

"And  that  is?" 

"  That  his  instructions  were  to  get  to  know  your 
daughter  without  delay." 

"  But  what  could  his  reason  have  been  do  you 
think  ?  " 

"  Ah,  that  I  cannot  tell  you  just  yet.  Now  you  must 
pardon  what  I  am  going  to  say,  but  do  you  think  he  was 
serious  in  his  intentions  regarding  Phyllis — I  mean  your 
daughter  ?  " 

"  Perfectly,  as  far  as  I  could  tell.     His  desire,  he 


ON  THE  TRAIL.  195 

said,  was  to  be  allowed  to  marry  her  on  his  twenty-first 
birthday,  which  would  be  next  week,  and  in  proof  of 
permission  he  showed  me  a  cablegram  from  his  father." 

"  A  forgery,  I  don't  doubt.  Well  then  the  only  con 
struction  I  can  put  upon  it  all  is  that  the  arrival  of  the 
real  Beckenham  in  Sydney  must  have  frightened  him, 
thus  compelling  the  gang  to  resort  to  other  means  of 
obtaining  possession  of  her  at  once.  Now  our  next 
business  must  be  to  find  out  how  that  dastardly  act  was 
accomplished.  May  I  ring  the  bell  and  have  up  the 
coachman  who  drove  your  daughter  to  the  ball  ?  " 

"  By  all  means.  Please  act  in  every  way  in  this  mat 
ter  as  if  this  house  were  your  own." 

I  rang  the  bell,  and  when  the  butler  appeared  in  an 
swer  to  it  Mr.  Wetherell  instructed  him  to  find  the  man 
I  wanted  and  send  him  up.  The  servant  left  the  room 
again,  and  for  five  minutes  we  awaited  his  re-appearance 
in  silence.  "When  he  did  come  back  he  said,  "  Thomp 
son  has  not  come  home  yet,  sir." 

"  Not  come  home  yet !  And  it's  nearly  eleven 
o'clock  !  Send  him  in  directly  he  arrives.  Hark ! 
What  bell  is  that?" 

"  Front  door,  sir." 

"  Go  down  and  answer  it  then,  and  if  it  should  be 
the  Commissioner  of  Police  show  him  up  here  at  once." 

As  it  turned  out  it  was  not  the  Commissioner  of 
Police,  but  an  inspector,  accompanied  by  a  detective. 

"  Good  evening,"  said  Mr.  Wetherell.  "  You  have 
come  from  Government  House,  I  presume  ?  " 

"  Exactly  so,  sir,"  replied  the  Inspector.  "  His  Ex 
cellency  gave  us  some  particulars  and  then  sent  us  on 
to  you." 

"  You  know  the  nature  of  the  case  then  ?  " 

"  His  Excellency  informed  us  himself." 


196  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  And  what  steps  have  you  taken  ?  " 

"  Well,  sir,  to  begin  with,  we  have  given  orders  for  a 
thorough  search  throughout  the  city  and  suburbs  for  the 
tutor  and  the  sham  nobleman,  at  the  same  time  more 
men  are  out  looking  for  the  real  Lord  Beckenham.  We 
are  also  having  a  thorough  search  made  for  your  coach 
man,  who  was  supposed  to  have  driven  Miss  Wetherell 
away  from  Government  House,  and  also  for  the  carriage, 
which  is  certain  to  be  found  before  very  long." 

He  had  hardly  finished  speaking  before  there  was 
another  loud  ring  at  the  bell,  and  presently  the  butler 
again  entered  the  room.  Crossing  to  Mr.  Wetherell,  he 
said — 

"  Two  policemen  are  at  the  front  door,  and  they  have 
brought  Thompson  home,  sir." 

"  Ah !  We  are  likely  to  have  a  little  light  thrown 
upon  the  matter  now.  Let  them  bring  him  up  here 
instantly." 

"  He's  not  in  a  very  nice  state,  sir." 

"Never  mind  that.  Let  them  bring  him  up  here,  I 
say,  and  that  instantly  !  " 

Again  the  butler  departed,  and  a  few  moments  later 
heavy  footsteps  ascended  the  stairs  and  approached  the 
study  door.  Then  two  stalwart  policemen  entered  the 
room  supporting  between  them  a  miserable  figure  in 
coachman's  livery.  His  hat  and  coat  were  gone  and  his 
breeches  were  stained  with  mud,  while  a  large  bruise 
totally  obscured  his  left  eye.  His  master  surveyed  him 
with  unmitigated  disgust. 

"  Stand  him  over  there  opposite  me,"  said  Mr. 
Wetherell,  pointing  to  the  side  of  the  room  furthest 
from  the  door. 

The  policemen  did  as  they  were  ordered,  while  the 
man  groaned. 


ON  THE  TRAIL.  197 

"  Now,  Thompson,"  said  Wetherell,  looking  sternly 
at  him,  "  what  have  you  got  to  say  for  yourself  ?  " 

Again  the  man  only  groaned.  Seeing  that  in  his 
present  state  he  could  say  nothing,  I  went  across  to  the 
table  and  mixed  him  a  glass  of  grog.  When  I  gave  it 
to  him  he  drank  it  eagerly.  It  seemed  to  sharpen  his 
wits,  for  he  answered  instantly : 

"It  wasn't  my  fault,  sir.  If  I'd  only  ha'  known 
what  their  game  was  I'd  have  been  killed  afore  I'd  have 
let  them  do  anything  to  hurt  the  young  lady.  But  they 
was  too  cunnin'  for  me,  sir." 

"Be  more  explicit,  sir!"  said  Wetherell,  sternly. 
"Don't  stand  there  whining,  but  tell  your  story  at 
once." 

The  poor  wretch  pulled  himself  together  and  did  his 
best. 

"  It  was  in  this  way,  sir,"  he  began.  "  Last  week  I 
was  introduced  by  a  friend  of  mine  to  as  nice  a  spoken 
man  as  ever  I  saw.  He  was  from  England,  he  said,  and 
having  a  bit  o'  money  thought  he'd  like  to  try  his  'and 
at  a  bit  o'  racing  in  Australia,  like.  He  was  on  the 
look-out  for  a  smart  man  who'd  be  able  to  put  him  up 
to  a  wrinkle  or  two,  and  maybe  train  for  him  later  on. 
He  went  on  to  say  that  he'd  'eard  a  lot  about  me,  and 
thought  I  was  just  the  man  for  his  money.  Well,  we 
got  more  and  more  friendly  till  the  other  night,  Mon 
day,  when  he  said  as  how  he'd  settled  on  a  little  farm  a 
bit  out  in  the  country,  and  was  going  to  sign  the  agree 
ment,  as  he  called  it,  for  to  rent  it  next  day.  He  was 
goin'  to  start  a  stud  farm  and  trainin'  establishment 
combined,  he  said,  and  would  I  take  the  billet  of  man 
ager  at  three  'undred  a  year  ?  Anyway,  as  he  said, 
'  Don't  be  in  a  'urry  to  decide  ;  take  your  time  and 
think  it  over.  Meet  me  at  the  Canary  Bird  'Otel  on 


198  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Thursday  night  (that's  to-night,  sir)  and  give  me  your 
decision.'  Well,  sir,  I  drove  Miss  "VVetherell  to  Govern 
ment  'Ouse,  sir,  according  to  orders,  and  then,  comiu' 
'ome,  went  round  by  the  Canary  Bird  to  give  'im  my 
answer,  thinkin'  no  'arm  could  ever  come  of  it.  When 
I  drove  up  he  was  standin'  at  the  door  smoking  his 
cigar,  an'  hem'  an  affable  sort  of  fellow,  invited  me  in 
side  to  take  a  drink.  '  I  don't  like  to  leave  the  box,'  I 
said.  '  Oh,  never  mind  your  horse,'  says  he.  '  'Ere's  a 
man  as  will  stand  by  it  for  five  minutes.'  He  gave  a 
respectable  lookin'  chap,  standin'  by  the  lamp-post,  a 
sixpence,  and  he  'eld  the  'orse,  so  in  I  went.  When  we 
got  inside  I  was  for  goin'  to  the  bar,  but  'e  says,  '  No. 
This  is  an  important  business  matter,  and  we  don't 
want  to  be  over'eard.'  With  that  he  leads  the  way  into 
a  private  room  at  the  end  of  the  passage  and  shuts  the 
door.  *  What's  yours?'  says  he.  'A  nobbier  o'  rum,' 
says  I.  Then  he  orders  a  nobbier  of  rum  for  me  and  a 
nobbier  of  whisky  for  'imself.  And  when  it  was 
brought  we  sat  talkin'  of  the  place  he'd  thought  o' 
takin'  an'  the  'orses  he  was  goin'  to  buy,  an'  then  'e 
says,  '  'Ullo' !  Somebody  listenin'  at  the  door.  I  'card 
a  step.  Jump  up  and  look.'  I  got  up  and  ran  to  the 
door,  but  there  was  nobody  there,  so  I  sat  down  again 
and  we  went  on  talking.  Then  he  says,  takin'  up  his 
glass  :  *  'Ere's  to  your  'ealth,  Mr.  Thompson,  and  suc 
cess  to  the  farm.'  We  both  drank  it  an'  went  on  talk- 
in'  till  I  felt  so  sleepy  I  didn't  know  what  to  do.  Then 
I  dropped  off,  an'  after  that  I  don't  remember  nothin' 
of  what  'appened  till  I  woke  up  in  the  Domain  without 
my  hat  and  coat  and  found  a  policeman  shakin'  me  by 
the  shoulder." 

"  The  whole  thing  is  as  plain  as  daylight,"  cried 
Wetherell,  bitterly.     "  It  is  a  thoroughly- organised  con- 


ON  THE  TRAIL.  199 

spiracy,  having  me  for  its  victim.  Oh,  my  girlie !  my 
poor  little  girlie  !  what  have  I  brought  you  to  through 
my  obstinacy  ! " 

Seeing  the  old  man  in  this  state  very  nearly  broke 
me  down,  but  I  mastered  myself  with  an  effort  and  ad 
dressed  a  question  to  the  unfortunate  coachman  : 

"  Pull  yourself  together,  Thompson,  and  try  and 
tell  me  straightforwardly,  and  as  correctly  as  you  can, 
what  this  friend  of  yours  was  like  ?  " 

I  fully  expected  to  hear  him  give  an  exact  descrip 
tion  of  the  man  who  had  followed  us  from  Melbourne, 
but  I  was  mistaken. 

"  I  don't  know,  sir,"  said  Thompson,  "  as  I  could 
rightly  tell  you,  my  mind  being  still  a  bit  dizzy-like. 
He  was  tall,  but  not  by  any  manner  of  means  big  made ; 
he  had  very  small  'ands  an'  feet,  a  sort  o'  what  they  call 
death's-'ead  complexion ;  'is  'air  was  black  as  soot,  an' 
so  was  'is  eyes,  an'  they  sparkled  like  two  diamonds  in 
'is  'ead." 

"  Do  you  remember  noticing  if  he  had  a  curious 
gold  ring  on  his  little  finger,  like  a  snake  ?  " 

"  He  had,  sir,  with  two  eyes  made  of  some  black 
stone.  That's  just  as  true  as  you're  born." 

"  Then  it  was  Nikola,"  I  cried  in  an  outburst  of  as 
tonishment,  "  and  he  followed  us  to  Australia  after 
all!" 

Wetherell  gave  a  deep  sigh  that  was  more  like  a 
groan  than  anything  else ;  then  he  became  suddenly  a 
new  man. 

"  Mr.  Inspector,"  he  cried  to  the  police  officer, 
"  that  man  or  traces  of  him  must  be  found  before  day 
light.  I  know  him,  and  he  is  as  slippery  as  an  eel ;  if 
you  lose  a  minute  he'll  slip  through  your  fingers." 

"  One    moment    first,"    I   cried.      "  Tell    me    this, 


200  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Thompson :  when  you  drove  up  to  the  Canary  Bird 
Hotel  where  did  you  say  this  man  was  standing  ?  " 

"  In  the  verandah,  sir." 

«  Had  he  his  hat  on  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  And  then  you  went  into  the  bar,  but  it  was 
crowded,  so  he  took  you  to  a  private  room  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  And  once  there  he  began  giving  you  the  details  of 
this  farm  he  proposed  starting.  Did  he  work  out  any 
figures  on  paper?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"On  what?" 

"  On  a  letter  or  envelope  ;  I'm  not  certain  which." 

"  Which  of  course  he  took  from  his  pocket  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Very  good,"  I  said.  Then  turning  to  the  police 
officer,  "  Now,  Mr.  Inspector,  shall  we  be  off  to  the 
Canary  Bird  ?  " 

"  If  you  wish  it,  sir.  In  the  meantime  I'll  send  in 
structions  back  by  these  men  to  the  different  stations. 
Before  breakfast  time  we  must  have  the  man  who  held 
the  horse  in  our  hands." 

"  You  don't  know  him,  I  suppose,"  I  asked  Thomp 
son. 

"  No,  sir ;  but  I've  seen  him  before,"  he  answered. 

"  He's  a  Sydney  fellow  then  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir." 

"  Then  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  catching  him. 
Now  let  us  be  going." 

Mr.  Wetherell  rose  to  accompany  us,  but  hard 
though  it  was  to  stop  him  I  eventually  succeeded  in 
dissuading  him  from  such  a  course. 

u  But  you  will  let  me  know  directly  you  discover 


ON  THE  TRAIL.  201 

anything,  won't  you,  Mr.  Hatteras  ? "  he  cried  as  we 
were  about  to  leave  the  room.  "  Think  what  my 
anxiety  will  be." 

I  gave  my  promise  and  then,  accompanied  by  the 
inspector,  left  the  house.  Hailing  a  passing  cab  we 
jumped  into  it  and  told  the  driver  to  proceed  as  fast  as 
he  could  to  the  hotel  in  question.  Just  as  we  started  a 
clock  in  the  neighbourhood  struck  twelve.  Phyllis  had 
been  in  Nikola's  hands  three  hours. 

Pulling  up  opposite  the  Canary  Bird  (the  place 
where  the  footman  had  been  drugged),  I,  Kichard  Hat 
teras,  and  the  inspector  jumped  out  and  bade  the  cab 
man  wait.  The  hotel  was  in  complete  darkness,  and  it 
was  not  until  we  had  pealed  the  bell  twice  that  we 
succeeded  in  producing  any  sign  of  life.  Then  the 
landlord,  half  dressed,  and  with  a  candle  in  his  hand, 
came  downstairs  and  called  out  to  know  who  was  there 
and  what  we  wanted.  My  companion  immediately  said 
"  police,"  and  in  answer  to  that  magic  word  the  door  was 
unbarred. 

"  Good  evening,  Mr.  Bartrell,"  said  the  inspector 
politely.  "  May  we  come  in  for  a  moment  on  busi 
ness?" 

"  Certainly,  Mr.  Inspector,"  said  the  landlord,  who 
evidently  knew  my  companion.  "  But  isn't  this  rather 
a  late  hour  for  a  call?  I  hope  there  is  nothing  the 
matter." 

"  Nothing  much,"  returned  the  inspector ;  "  only  we 
want  to  make  a  few  inquiries  about  a  man  who  was  here 
to-night  and  for  whom  we  are  looking." 

"  If  that  is  so  I'm  afraid  I  must  roust  out  my  bar 
man.  I  was  not  in  the  bar  this  evening^  If  you'll 
excuse  me  I'll  go  and  bring  him  down.  In  the  mean 
time  make  yourselves  comfortable." 


202  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

He  left  us  to  kick  our  heels  in  the  hall  while  he 
went  upstairs  again.  In  about  ten  minutes,  and  just  as 
my  all-consuming  impatience  was  well-nigh  exhausted 
he  returned,  bringing  with  him  the  sleepy  barman. 

"  These  gentlemen  want  some  information  about  a 
man  who  was  here  to-night,"  the  landlord  said  by  way 
of  introduction.  "  Perhaps  you  can  give  it  ?  " 

"  What  was  he  like,  sir  ?  "  asked  the  barman  of  the 
inspector. 

The  latter,  however,  turned  to  me. 

"  Tall,  slim,  with  a  sallow  complexion,"  I  said, "  black 
hair  and  very  dark  restless  eyes.  He  came  in  here  with 
the  Hon.  Mr.  Wetherell's  coachman." 

The  man  seemed  to  recollect  him  at  once. 

"  I  remember  him,"  he  said.  "  They  sat  in  No.  5 
down  the  passage  there,  and  the  man  you  mention 
ordered  a  nobbier  of  rum  for  his  friend  and  a  whisky 
for  himself." 

"  That's  the  fellow  we  want,"  said  the  inspector. 
"Now  tell  me  this,  have  you  ever  seen  him  in  here 
before?" 

"  Never  once,"  said  the  barman,  "  and  that's  a  solemn 
fact,  because  if  I  had  I  couldn't  have  forgotten  it.  His 
figurehead  wouldn't  let  you  do  that.  No,  sir,  to-night 
was  the  first  night  he's  ever  been  in  here." 

"  Did  anyone  else  visit  them  while  they  were  in  the 
room  together  ?  " 

"  Not  as  I  know  of.  But  stay,  I'm  not  so  certain. 
Yes  ;  I  remember  seeing  a  tall  good-looking  chap  come 
down  the  passage  and  go  in  there.  But  it  was  some 
time,  half-an-hour  maybe,  after  I  took  in  the  drinks." 

"  Did  y,ou  see  him  come  out  again  ?  " 

"  No.  But  I  know  the  coachman  got  very  drunk 
and  had  to  be  carried  out  to  the  carriage." 


ON  THE  TRAIL.  203 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?  " 

"  Because  I  saw  the  other  two  doing  it." 

The  inspector  turned  to  me. 

"  Not  very  satisfactory,  is  it  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  answered.  "  But  do  you  mind  letting  us 
look  into  No.  5 — the  room  they  occupied  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  the  landlord.  "  Will  you  come 
with  me  ?  " 

So  saying  he  led  the  way  down  the  passage  to  a  little 
room  on  the  right-hand  side,  the  door  of  which  he  threw 
open  with  a  theatrical  flourish.  It  was  all  in  pitch  dark 
ness,  but  a  few  seconds  later  the  gas  was  lit  and  we  could 
see  all  that  it  contained.  A  small  table  stood  in  the  cen 
tre  of  the  room  and  round  the  walls  were  ranged  two  or 
three  wooden  chairs.  A  small  window  was  at  the  end 
and  a  fireplace  opposite  the  door.  On  the  table  was  a 
half-smoked  cigar  and  a  torn  copy  of  the  Evening  Mer 
cury.  But  that  was  not  what  I  wanted,  so  I  went  down 
on  my  hands  and  knees  and  looked  about  on  the  floor. 
Presently  I  descried  a  small  ball  of  paper  near  the  grate. 
Picking  it  up  I  seated  myself  at  the  table  and  turned  to 
the  barman,  who  was  watching  my  movements  atten 
tively. 

"  Was  this  room  used  by  any  other  people  after  the 
party  we  are  looking  for  left  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.  There  was  nobody  in  either  of  these  two 
bottom  rooms." 

"  You  are  quite  certain  of  that  ?  " 

"  Perfectly  certain." 

I  took  up  the  ball  of  paper,  unrolled  it  and  spread  it 
out  on  the  table.  To  my  disgust  it  was  only  the  back 
half  of  an  envelope,  and  though  it  had  a  few  figures 
dotted  about  on  it,  was  of  no  possible  use  to  me. 

"  Nothing  there  '? "  asked  the  inspector. 
14 


204  A   BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  Nothing  at  all,"  I  answered  bitterly,  "  save  a  few 
incomprehensible  figures." 

"  Well,  in  that  case,  we'd  better  be  getting  up  to  the 
station  and  see  if  they've  discovered  anything  yet." 

"  Come  along,  then,"  I  answered.  "  "We  must  be 
quick  though,  for  we've  lost  a  lot  of  precious  time,  and 
every  minute  counts." 

I  took  up  the  Evening  Mercury  and  followed  him 
out  to  the  cab,  having  sincerely  thanked  the  hotel  pro 
prietor  and  the  barman  for  their  courtesy.  The  in 
spector  gave  the  driver  his  orders  and  we  set  off.  As 
we  went  we  discussed  our  next  movements,  and  while 
we  were  doing  so  I  idly  glanced  at  the  paper  I  held  in 
my  hand.  There  was  a  lamp  in  the  cab  and  the  light 
showed  me  on  the  bottom  right-hand  corner  of  the 
paper  a  round  blue  india-rubber  stamp  mark,  "  W.  E. 
Maxwell,  stationer  and  newsagent,  23  Ipswell  Street, 
Woolahra." 

"  Stop  the  cab  ! "  I  almost  shouted.  "  Tell  the  man 
to  drive  us  back  to  the  Canary  Bird  as  fast  as  he  can  go." 

The  order  was  given,  the  cab  faced  round,  and  in 
less  than  a  minute  we  were  on  our  way  back. 

"  What's  up  now  ?  "  asked  the  astonished  inspector. 

"  Only  that  I  believe  I've  got  a  clue,"  I  cried. 

I  did  not  explain  any  further,  and  in  five  minutes 
we  had  brought  the  landlord  downstairs  again. 

"  I'm  sorry  to  trouble  you  in  this  fashion,"  I  cried, 
"but  life  and  death  depend  on  it.  I  want  you  to  let 
me  see  No.  5  again." 

He  conducted  us  to  the  room,  and  once  more  lit  the 
gas.  The  small  strip  of  envelope  lay  upon  the  table  just 
as  I  had  thrown  it  down.  I  seated  myself  and  again 
looked  closely  at  it.  Then  I  sprang  to  my  feet. 

"  I  thought  so ! "  I  cried  excitedly,  pointing  to  the 


ON  THE  TRAIL.  205 

paper ;  "  I  told  you  I  had  a  clue.  Now,  Mr.  Inspector, 
who  wrote  those  figures  ?  " 

"  The  man  you  call  Nikola,  I  suppose." 

"  That's  right.  Now  who  would  have  brought  this 
newspaper  ?  You  must  remember  Thompson  only  left 
his  box  to  come  in  here  ?  " 

"  Nikola,  I  suppose." 

"  Very  good.  Then  according  to  your  own  showing 
Nikola  owned  this  piece  of  envelope  and  this  Evening 
Mercury.  If  that  is  certain,  look  here  ! " 

He  came  round  and  looked  over  my  shoulder.  I 
pointed  to  what  was  evidently  part  of  the  gummed  edge 
of  the  top  of  the  envelope.  On  it  were  these  three  im 
portant  words,  " swell  Street,  Woolahra." 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  what  about  it  ?  " 

"  Why,  look  here  ! "  I  opened  the  Evening  Mercury 
as  I  spoke  and  pointed  to  the  stamp-mark  at  the  bot 
tom.  "  The  man  who  bought  this  newspaper  at  Mr. 
Maxwell's  shop  also  bought  this  envelope  there.  The 
letters  '  swell '  before  street  constitute  the  last  half  of 
Ipswell,  the  name  of  the  street.  If  that  man  be  Nikola, 
as  we  suspect,  the  person  who  served  him  is  certain  to 
remember  him,  and  it  is  just  within  the  bounds  of  pos 
sibility  he  may  know  his  address." 

"  That's  so,"  said  the  inspector,  who  was  struck  with 
the  force  of  my  argument.  "  I  know  Mr.  Maxwell's 
shop,  and  our  best  plan  will  be  to  go  on  there  as  fast  as 
we  can." 

Again  thanking  the  landlord  for  his  civility,  we  re 
turned  to  our  cab  and  once  more  set  off,  this  time  for 
Mr.  Maxwell's  shop  in  Ipswell  Street.  By  the  time  we 
reached  it  it  was  nearly  three  o'clock,  and  was  gradually 
growing  light. 

As  the  cab  drew  up  alongside  the  curb  the  inspector 


206  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

jumped  out  and  rang  the  bell  of  the  side  door  of  the 
shop.  It  was  opened  after  awhile  by  -a  shock-headed 
youth,  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  who  stared  at  us  in 
sleepy  astonishment. 

"Does  Mr.  Maxwell  live  at  the  shop?"  asked  the 
inspector. 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Where  then  ?  " 

"  Ponson  Street  —  third  house  on  the  left-hand 
side." 

"  Thank  you." 

Once  more  we  jumped  into  the  cab  and  rattled  off. 
It  seemed  to  me,  so  anxious  and  terrified  was  I  for  my 
darling's  safety,  as  if  we  were  fated  never  to  get  the  in 
formation  we  wanted ;  the  whole  thing  was  like  some 
dreadful  nightmare,  in  which,  try  how  I  would  to  move, 
every  step  was  clogged. 

A  few  minutes'  drive  brought  us  to  Ponson  Street, 
and  we  drew  up  at  the  third  house  on  the  left-hand  side. 
It  was  a  pretty  little  villa,  with  a  nice  front  garden  and 
a  creeper-covered  verandah.  We  rang  the  bell  and 
waited.  Presently  we  heard  someone  coming  down  the 
passage,  and  the  door  was  unlocked. 

"  Who  is  there  ?  "  cried  a  voice  from  within. 

"  Police,"  said  my  companion  once  more. 

The  door  was  immediately  opened,  and  a  very  small 
sandy-complexioned  man,  dressed  in  a  flaring  suit  of 
striped  pyjamas,  stood  before  us. 

"Is  anything  wrong,  gentlemen?"  he  asked  nerv 
ously. 

"  Nothing  to  affect  you,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  my  compan 
ion  replied.  "  We  only  want  a  little  important  informa 
tion,  if  you  can  give  it  us.  We  are  anxious  to  discover 
a  man's  whereabouts  before  daylight,  and  we  have  been 


ON  THE  TRAIL.  207 

led  to  believe  that  you  are  the  only  person  who  can  give 
us  the  necessary  clue." 

"  Good  gracious !  I  never  heard  of  such  a  thing. 
But  I  shall  be  happy  to  serve  you  if  I  can,"  the  little 
man  answered,  leading  the  way  into  his  dining-room 
and  opening  the  shutters  with  an  air  of  importance  his 
appearance  rather  belied.  "  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  it's  this,"  I  replied,  producing  the  piece  of 
envelope  and  the  Evening  Mercury.  "  You  see  these 
letters  on  the  top  of  this  paper,  don't  you  ?  "  He  nodded, 
his  attention  at  once  secured  by  seeing  his  own  name. 
"  Well,  that  envelope  was  evidently  purchased  in  your 
shop.  So  was  this  newspaper." 

"How  can  you  tell  that?" 

"  In  the  case  of  the  envelope,  by  these  letters ;  in 
that  of  the  paper,  by  your  rubber  stamp  on  the  bottom." 

"  Ah !  Well,  now,  and  in  what  way  can  I  help  you  ?  " 

"  We  want  to  know  the  address  of  the  man  who 
bought  them." 

"  That  will  surely  be  difficult.  Can  you  give  me  any 
idea  of  what  he  was  like  ?  " 

"  Tall,  slightly  foreign  in  appearance,  distinctly 
handsome,  sallow  complexion,  very  dark  eyes,  black  hair, 
small  hands  and  feet." 

As  my  description  progressed  the  little  man's  face 
brightened.  Then  he  cried  with  evident  triumph — 

"  I  know  the  man ;  he  came  into  the  shop  yesterday 
afternoon." 

"  And  his  address  is?" 

His  face  fell  again.  His  information  was  not  quite 
as  helpful  as  he  expected  it  to  be. 

"There  I  can't  help  you,  I'm  sorry  to  say.  He 
bought  a  packet  of  paper  and  envelopes  and  the  Evening 
Mercury  and  then  left  the  shop.  I  was  so  struck  by  his 


208  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

appearance  that  I  went  to  the  door  and  watched  him 
cross  the  road." 

"  And  in  which  direction  did  he  go  ?  " 

"  Over  to  Podgers'  chemist  shop  across  the  way.  That 
was  the  last  I  saw  of  him." 

"  I'm  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  I  said,  shaking 
him  by  the  hand.  "  But  I'm  sorry  you  can't  tell  us  some 
thing  more  definite  about  him."  Then  turning  to  the 
inspector :  "  I  suppose  we  had  better  go  off  and  find 
Podgers.  But  if  we  have  to  spend  much  more  time  in 
rushing  about  like  this  we  shall  be  certain  to  lose  them 
altogether." 

"  Let  us  be  off  to  Podgers',  then,  as  fast  as  we 
can  go." 

Bidding  Mr.  Maxwell  good-bye,  we  set  off  again,  and 
in  ten  minutes  had  arrived  at  the  shop  and  had  Mr. 
Podgers  downstairs.  We  explained  our  errand  as  briefly 
as  possible,  and  gave  a  minute  description  of  the  man 
we  wanted. 

"  I  remember  him  perfectly,"  said  the  sedate  Podgers. 
"  He  came  into  my  shop  last  night  and  purchased  a 
bottle  of  chloroform." 

"  You  made  him  sign  the  poison  book,  of  course." 

"  Naturally  I  did,  •  Mr.  Inspector.  Would  you  like 
to  see  his  signature?" 

"  Very  much,"  we  both  answered  at  once,  and  the 
book  was  accordingly  produced. 

Podgers  ran  his  finger  down  the  list. 

"  Brown,  Williams,  Davis — ah  !  here  it  is.  '  Chloro 
form  :  J.  Venneage,  22  Calliope  Street,  Woolahra.' " 

"  Venneage  ! "  I  cried.     "  Why,  that's  not  his  name ! " 

"  Very  likely  not,"  replied  Podgers ;  "  but  it's  the 
name  he  gave  me." 

"Never  mind,  we'll  try  22  Calliope  Street  on  the 


ON  THE  TRAIL.  209 

chance,"  said  the  inspector.  "Come  along,  Mr.  Hat- 
teras." 

Again  we  drove  off,  this  time  at  increased  pace.  In 
less  than  fifteen  minutes  we  had  turned  into  the  street 
we  wanted,  and  pulled  up  about  a  hundred  yards  from 
the  junction.  It  was  a  small  thoroughfare  with  a  long 
line  of  second-class  villa  residences  on  either  side.  A 
policeman  was  sauntering  along  on  the  other  side  of  the 
way,  and  the  inspector  called  him  over.  He  saluted  re 
spectfully,  and  waited  to  be  addressed. 

"  What  do  you  know  of  number  22?"  asked  the  in 
spector  briefly.  The  constable  considered  for  a  few 
moments  and  then  said  : 

"  Well,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  sir,  I  didn't  know  until 
yesterday  that  it  was  occupied." 

"  Have  you  seen  anybody  about  there  ?  " 

"  I  saw  three  men  go  in  just  as  I  came  on  the  beat." 

"What  were  they  like?" 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  that  I  looked  much  at  them. 
They  were  all  pretty  big,  and  they  seemed  to  be  laugh 
ing  and  enjoying  themselves." 

"  Did  they !  Well,  we  must  go  in  there  and  have  a 
look  at  them.  You  had  better  come  with  us." 

We  walked  on  down  the  street  till  we  arrived  at  No. 
22.  Then  opening  the  gate  we  went  up  the  steps  to  the 
hall  door.  It  was  quite  light  enough  by  this  time  to 
enable  us  to  see  everything  distinctly.  The  inspector 
gave  the  bell  a  good  pull  and  the  peal  re-echoed  inside 
the  house.  But  not  a  sound  of  any  living  being  came 
from  within.  Again  the  bell  was  pulled,  and  once  more 
we  waited  patiently  with  the  same  result. 

"  Either  there's  nobody  at  home  or  they  refuse  to 
hear,"  said  the  inspector.  "  Constable,  you  remain 
where  you  are  and  collar  the  first  man  you  see.  Mr. 


210  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Hatteras,  we  will  go  round  to  the  back  and  try  to  effect 
an  entrance." 

We  left  the  front  door,  and  finding  a  path  reached 
the  yard.  The  house  was  only  a  small  one  with  a  little 
verandah  on  to  which  the  back  door  opened.  On  either 
side  of  the  door  were  two  fair-sized  windows,  and  by 
some  good  fortune  it  chanced  that  the  catch  of  one  of 
these  was  broken. 

Lifting  the  sash  up  the  inspector  jumped  into  the 
room,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  through  I  followed  him. 
Then  we  looked  about  us.  The  room,  however,  was 
destitute  of  furniture  or  occupants. 

"  I  don't  hear  anybody  about,"  my  companion  said, 
opening  the  door  that  led  into  the  hall.  Just  at  that 
moment  I  heard  a  sound,  and  touching  his  arm  signed 
to  him  to  listen.  We  both  did  so,  and  surely  enough 
there  came  again  the  faint  muttering  of  a  human  voice. 
In  the  half-dark  of  the  hall  it  was  most  uncanny. 

"  Somebody  in  one  of  the  front  rooms,"  said  the  in 
spector.  "  I'll  slip  along  and  open  the  front  door,  bring 
in  the  man  from  outside,  and  then  we'll  burst  into  the 
room  and  take  our  chance  of  capturing  them." 

He  did  as  he  proposed,  and  when  the  constable  had 
joined  us  we  moved  towards  the  room  on  the  left. 

Again  the  mutterings  came  from  the  inside,  and  the 
inspector  turned  the  handle  of  the  door.  It  was  locked 
however. 

"  Let  me  burst  it  in,"  I  whispered. 

He  nodded,  and  I  accordingly  put  my  shoulder 
against  it,  and  bringing  my  strength  to  bear  sent  it 
flying  in. 

Then  we  rushed  into  the  room  to  find  it,  at  first 
glance,  empty. 

Just  at  that  moment,  however,  the  muttering  began 


ON  THE  TRAIL.  211 

again,  and  we  looked  towards  the  darkest  corner ;  some 
body  was  there,  lying  on  the  ground.  I  rushed  across 
and  knelt  down  to  look.  It  ivas  Beckenham  ;  his  mouth 
gagged  and  his  hands  and  feet  bound.  The  noise  we 
had  heard  was  that  made  by  him  trying  to  call  us  to  his 
assistance. 

In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  I  had  cut  his  bonds 
and  helped  him  to  sit  up.  Then  I  explained  to  the  in 
spector  who  he  was. 

"  Thank  God  you're  found  !  "  I  cried.  "  But  what 
does  it  all  mean  ?  How  long  have  you  been  like  this  ? 
and  where  is  Nikola  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  how  long  I've  been  here,"  he  an 
swered,  "  and  I  don't  know  where  Nikola  is." 

"But  you  must  know  something  about  him!"  I 
cried.  "  For  heaven's  sake  tell  me  all  you  can  !  I'm  in 
awful  trouble,  and  your  story  may  give  me  the  means  of 
saving  a  life  that  is  dearer  to  me  than  my  own." 

"  Get  me  something  to  drink  first,  then,"  he  replied  ; 
"  I'm  nearly  dying  of  thirst ;  after  that  I'll  tell  you  all 
I  can." 

Fortunately  I  had  had  the  foresight  to  put  a  flask  of 
whisky  into  my  pocket,  and  I  now  took  it  out  and  gave 
him  a  stiff  nobbier.  It  revived  him  somewhat,  and  he 
prepared  to  begin  his  tale.  But  the  inspector  inter 
rupted  : 

"  Before  you  commence,  my  lord,  I  must  send  word 
to  the  Commissioner  that  you  have  been  found." 

He  wrote  a  message  on  a  piece  of  paper  and  de 
spatched  the  constable  with  it.  Having  done  so  he 
turned  to  Beckenham  and  said  : 

"  Now,  my  lord,  pray  let  us  hear  your  story." 

Beckeiiham  forthwith  commenced. 


CHAPTER  III. 
LORD  BECKENHAM'S  STOKY. 

"  WHEN"  you  left  me,  Mr.  Hatteras,  to  visit  Miss 
Wetherell  at  Potts  Point  I  remained  in  the  house  for 
half  an  hour  or  so  reading.  Then,  thinking  no  harm 
could  possibly  come  of  it,  I  started  out  for  a  little  excur 
sion  on  my  own  account.  It  was  about  half-past  eleven 
then,  and  a  very  hot  morning. 

"  Leaving  the  hotel  I  made  for  the  ferry  and  crossed 
Darling  Harbour  to  Millers  Point ;  then,  setting  myself 
for  a  good  ramble,  off  I  went  through  the  city,  up  one 
street  and  down  another,  to  eventually  bring  up  in  the 
botanical  gardens.  The  view  was  so  exquisite  that  I  sat 
myself  down  on  a  seat  and  gave  myself  up  to  rapturous 
contemplation  of  it.  How  long  I  remained  there  I 
could  not  possibly  say.  I  only  know  that  while  I  was 
watching  the  movements  of  a  man-o'-war  in  the  cove 
below  me  I  became  aware,  by  intuition — for  I  did  not 
look  at  him — that  I  was  the  object  of  a  close  scrutiny 
by  a  man  standing  some  little  distance  from  me.  Pres 
ently  I  saw  him  drawing  closer  to  me,  until  he  came 
boldly  up  and  seated  himself  beside  me.  He  was  a 
queer-looking  little  chap,  in  some  ways  not  unlike  my 
old  tutor  Baxter,  with  a  shrewd,  clean-shaven  face,  gray 
hair,  bushy  eyebrows,  and  a  long  and  rather  hooked 
nose.  He  was  well  dressed,  and  when  he  spoke  did  so 


LORD   BECKENHAM'S  STORY.  213 

with  some  show  of  education.  When  we  had  been  sit 
ting  side  by  side  for  some  minutes  he  turned  to  me  and 
said : 

" 'It  is  a  beautiful  picture  we  have  before  us,  is  it 
not?' 

" '  It  is,  indeed,'  I  answered.  *  And  what  a  diversity 
of  shipping ! ' 

" '  You  may  well  say  that,'  he  continued.  '  It  would 
be  an  interesting  study,  would  it  not,  to  make  a  list  of 
all  the  craft  that  pass  in  and  out  of  this  harbour  in  a 
day — to  put  down  the  places  where  they  were  built  and 
whence  they  hail,  the  characters  of  their  owners  and 
commanders,  and  their  errands  about  the  world.  What 
a  book  it  would  make,  would  it  not?  Look  at  that 
man-o'-war  in  Farm  Cove ;  think  of  the  money  she  cost, 
think  of  where  that  money  came  from — the  rich  people 
who  paid  without  thinking,  the  poor  who  dreaded  the 
coming  of  the  tax  collector  like  a  visit  from  the  Evil 
One ;  imagine  the  busy  dockyard  in  which  she  was  built 
— can't  you  seem  to  hear  the  clang  of  the  riveters  and 
the  buzzing  of  the  steam  saws  ?  Then  take  that  Nor 
wegian  boat  passing  the  fort  there;  think  of  her 
birthplace  in  far  Norway,  think  of  the  places  she 
has  since  seen,  imagine  her  masts  growing  in  the 
forests  on  the  mountain  side  of  lonely  fiords,  where  the 
silence  is  so  intense  that  a  stone  rolling  down  and  drop 
ping  into  the  water  echoes  like  thunder.  Then  again, 
look  at  that  emigrant  vessel  steaming  slowly  up  the  har 
bour  ;  think  of  the  folk  aboard  her,  all  with  their  hopes 
and  fears,  confident  of  a  successful  future  in  this  terra 
incognita,  or  despondent  of  that  and  everything  else. 
Away  to  the  left  there  you  see  a  little  island  schooner 
making  her  way  down  towards  the  blue  Pacific ;  imagine 
her  in  a  few  weeks  among  the  islands — tropical  heavens 


214  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

dropped  down  into  sunlit  waters !  Yes,  it  is  a  wonder 
ful  picture  we  have  before  us — a  very  wonderful  pic 
ture  ! ' 

" '  You  seem  to  have  studied  it  very  carefully,'  I  said 
after  a  moment's  silence. 

" '  Perhaps  I  have,'  he  answered.  '  I  am  deeply  in 
terested  in  the  life  of  the  sea — few  more  so.  Are  you  a 
stranger  in  New  South  Wales  ? ' 

" '  Quite  a  stranger,'  I  replied.  '  I  only  reached  Aus 
tralia  a  few  days  since.' 

" '  Indeed !  Then  you  have  to  make  the  acquaint 
ance  of  many  entrancing  beauties  yet.  Forgive  my  im 
pertinence,  but  if  you  are  on  a  tour,  let  me  recommend 
you  to  see  the  islands  before  you  return  to  your  home.' 

" '  The  South-Sea  Islands,  I  presume  you  mean  ? '  I 
said. 

" '  Yes ;  the  bewitching  islands  of  the  Southern  Seas ! 
The  most  entrancingly  beautiful  spots  on  God's  beauti 
ful  earth !  See  them  before  you  go.  They  will  amply 
repay  any  trouble  it  may  cost  you  to  reach  them.' 

" '  I  should  like  to  see  them  very  much,'  I  answered, 
feeling  my  enthusiasm  rising  at  his  words. 

" '  Perhaps  you  are  interested  in  them  already,'  he 
continued. 

" '  Very  much  indeed,'  I  replied. 

" '  Then,  in  that  case,  I  may  not  be  considered  pre 
suming  if  I  offer  to  assist  you.  I  am  an  old  South-Sea 
merchant  myself,  and  I  have  amassed  a  large  collection 
of  beautiful  objects  from  the  islands.  If  you  would 
allow  me  the  pleasure  I  should  be  delighted  to  show 
them  to  you.' 

"'I  should  like  to  see  them  very  much  indeed,' I 
answered,  thinking  it  extremely  civil  of  him  to  make 
the  offer. 


LORD  BECKENHAM'S  STORY.  215 

'"If  you  have  time  we  might  perhaps  go  and  see 
them  now.  My  house  is  but  a  short  distance  from  the 
Domain,  and  my  carriage  is  waiting  at  the  gates.' 

" '  I  shall  be  delighted,'  I  said,  thinking  there  could 
be  no  possible  harm  in  my  accepting  his  courteous  invi 
tation. 

" '  But  before  we  go,  may  I  be  allowed  to  introduce 
myself,'  the  old  gentleman  said,  taking  a  card-case  from 
his  pocket  and  withdrawing  a  card.  This  he  handed  to 
me  and  on  it  I  read — 

'"MR.  MATHEW  DRAPER.' 

'"I  am  afraid  I  have  no  card  with  me  to  offer  you 
in  return,'  I  said ;  '  but  I  am  the  Marquis  of  Becken- 
ham.' 

" '  Indeed  !  Then  I  am  doubly  honoured,'  the  old 
gentleman  said  with  a  low  bow.  '  Now  shall  we  wend 
our  way  up  towards  my  carriage  ? ' 

"  We  did  so,  chatting  as  we  went.  At  the  gates  a 
neat  brougham  was  waiting  for  us  and  in  it  we  took  our 
places. 

" '  Home,'  cried  my  host,  and  forthwith  we  set  off 
down  the  street.  Up  one  thoroughfare  and  down  an 
other  we  passed  until  I  lost  all  count  of  our  direction. 
Throughout  the  drive  my  companion  talked  away  in  his 
best  style  ;  commented  on  the  architecture  of  the  houses, 
had  many  queer  little  stories  to  tell  of  the  passers-by, 
and  in  many  other  ways  kept  my  attention  employed  till 
the  carriage  came  to  a  stand-still  before  a  small  but 
pretty  villa  in  a  quiet  street. 

"Mr.  Draper  immediately  alighted,  and  when  I  had 
done  so,  dismissed  his  coachman,  who  drove  away  as  we 
passed  through  the  little  garden  and  approached  the 
dwelling.  The  front  door  was  opened  by  a  dignified 


216  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

man-servant  and  we  entered.  The  hall,  which  was  a 
spacious  one  for  so  small  a  dwelling,  was  filled  with  cu 
rios  and  weapons,  but  I  had  small  time  for  observing 
them  as  my  host  led  me  towards  a  room  at  the  back. 
As  we  entered  it  he  said,  '  I  make  you  welcome  to  my 
house,  my  lord.  I  hope,  now  that  you  have  taken  the 
trouble  to  come,  I  shall  be  able  to  show  you  something 
that  will  repay  your  visit.'  Thereupon,  bidding  me  seat 
myself  for  a  few  moments,  he  excused  himself  and  left 
the  room.  When  he  returned  he  began  to  do  the  hon 
ours.  First  we  examined  a  rack  of  Australian  spears, 
nulla-nullas,  and  boomerangs,  then  another  containing 
some  New  Zealand  hatchets  and  clubs.  After  this  we 
crossed  to  a  sort  of  alcove  where  reposed  in  cases  a  great 
number  of  curios  collected  from  the  further  islands  of 
the  Pacific.  I  was  about  to  take  up  one  of  these  when 
the  door  on  the  other  side  of  the  room  opened  and  some 
one  entered.  At  first  I  did  not  look  round,  but  hearing 
the  new-comer  approaching  me  I  turned  to  find  myself, 
to  my  horrified  surprise,  face  to  face  with  no  less  a  per  son 
than  Dr.  Nikola.  He  was  dressed  entirely  in  black,  his 
coat  was  buttoned  and  displayed  all  the  symmetry  of  his 
peculiar  figure,  while  his  hair  seemed  blacker  and  his 
complexion  even  paler  than  before.  He  had  evidently 
been  prepared  for  my  visit,  for  he  held  out  his  hand 
and  greeted  me  without  a  sign  of  astonishment  upon 
his  face. 

" '  This  is  indeed  a  pleasure,  my  lord,'  he  said,  still 
with  his  hand  outstretched,  looking,  hard  at  me  with  his 
peculiar  cat-like  eyes.  'I  did  not  expect  to  see  you 
again  so  soon.  You  are  evidently  a  little  surprised  to 
see  me.' 

" '  I  am  more  than  surprised,'  I  answered  bitterly, 
seeing  how  easily  I  had  been  entrapped.  '  I  am  hor- 


LORD  BECKENHAM'S  STORY.  217 

ribly  mortified  and  angry.  Mr.  Draper,  you  had  an 
easy  victim.' 

"Mr.  Draper  said  nothing,  but  Dr.  Nikola  dropped 
into  a  chair  and  spoke  for  him. 

" '  You  must  not  blame  my  old  friend  Draper,'  he 
said  suavely.  '  We  have  been  wondering  for  the  last 
twenty-four  hours  how  we  might  best  get  hold  of  you, 
and  the  means  we  have  employed  so  successfully  seemed 
the  only  possible  way.  Have  no  fear,  my  lord,  you 
shall  not  be  hurt.  In  less  than  twenty-four  hours  you 
will  enjoy  the  society  of  your  energetic  friend  Mr.  Hat- 
teras  again.' 

" '  What  is  your  reason  for  abducting  me  like  this?' 
I  asked.  '  You  are  foolish  to  do  so,  for  Mr.  Hatteras 
will  leave  no  stone  unturned  to  find  me.' 

'"I  do  not  doubt  that  at  all,'  said  Dr.  Nikola 
quietly;  '  but  I  think  Mr.  Hatteras  will  find  he  will  have 
all  his  work  cut  out  for  him  this  time.' 

"  '  If  you  imagine  that  your  plans  are  not  known  in 
Sydney  you  are  mistaken,'  I  cried.  '  The  farce  you  are 
playing  at  Government  House  is  detected,  and  Mr.  Hat 
teras,  directly  he  finds  I  am  lost,  will  go  to  Lord  Am- 
berley  and  reveal  everything.' 

" '  I  have  not  the  slightest  objection,'  returned  Dr. 
Nikola  quietly.  'By  the  time  Mr.  Hatteras  can  take 
those  steps — indeed,  by  the  time  he  discovers  your  ab 
sence  at  all,  we  shall  be  beyond  the  reach  of  his  ven 
geance.' 

"  I  could  not  follow  his  meaning,  of  course,  but  while 
he  had  been  speaking  I  had  been  looking  stealthily 
round  me  for  a  means  of  escape.  The  only  way  out  of 
the  room  was  of  course  by  the  door,  but  both  Nikola  and 
his  ally  were  between  me  and  that.  Then  a  big  stone 
hatchet  hanging  on  the  wall  near  me  caught  my  eye. 


218  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Hardly  had  I  seen  it  before  an  idea  flashed  through  my 
brain.  Supposing  I  seized  it  and  fought  iny  way  out. 
The  door  of  the  room  stood  open,  and  I  noticed  with 
delight  that  the  key  was  in  the  lock  on  the  outside. 
One  rush,  armed  with  the  big  hatchet,  would  take  me 
into  the  passage;  then  before  my  foes  could  recover 
their  wits  I  might  be  able  to  turn  the  key  and,  having 
locked  them  in,  make  my  escape  from  the  house  before 
I  could  be  stopped. 

"  Without  another  thought  I  made  up  my  mind, 
sprang  to  the  wall,  wrenched  down  the  hatchet,  and 
prepared  for  my  rush.  But  by  the  time  I  had  done  it 
both  Nikola  and  Draper  were  on  their  feet. 

" '  Out  of  my  way  ! '  I  cried,  raising  my  awful  weapon 
aloft.  '  Stop  me  at  your  peril ! ' 

"With  my  weapon  in  the  air  I  looked  at  Nikola. 
He  was  standing  rigidly  erect,  with  one  arm  out 
stretched,  the  hand  pointing  at  me.  His  eyes  glared 
like  living  coals,  and  when  he  spoke  his  voice  came 
from  between  his  teeth  like  a  serpent's  hiss. 

"  '  Put  down  that  axe ! '  he  said. 

"  With  that  the  old  horrible  fear  of  him  which  had 
seized  me  on  board  ship  came  over  me  again.  His  eyes 
fascinated  me  so  that  I  could  not  look  away  from  them. 

•J 

I  put  down  the  hatchet  without  another  thought.  Still 
he  gazed  at  me  in  the  same  hideous  fashion. 

" '  Sit  down  in  that  chair  again,'  he  said  quietly. 
'  You  cannot  disobey  me.'  And  indeed  I  could  not. 
My  heart  was  throbbing  painfully,  and  an  awful  dizzi 
ness  was  creeping  over  me.  Still  I  could  not  get  away 
from  those  terrible  eyes.  They  seemed  to  be  growing 
larger  and  fiercer  every  moment.  Oh !  I  can  feel  the 
horror  of  them  upon  me  even  now.  As  I  gazed  his 
white  right  hand  was  moving  to  and  fro  before  me  with 


LORD   BECKENHAM'S  STORY.  219 

regular  sweeps,  and  with  each  I  felt  my  own  will  grow 
ing  weaker  and  weaker.  That  I  was  being  mesmerised, 
I  had  no  doubt,  but  if  I  had  been  going  to  be  murdered 
I  could  not  have  moved  a  finger  to  save  myself. 

"  Then  there  came  a  sudden  but  imperative  knock 
at  the  door,  and  both  Nikola  and  Draper  rose.  Next 
moment  the  man  whom  we  had  noticed  in  the  train  as 
we  came  up  from  Melbourne,  and  against  whom  you, 
Mr.  Hatteras,  had  warned  me  in  Sydney,  entered  the 
room.  He  crossed  and  stood  respectfully  before  Nikola. 

" '  Well,  Mr.  Eastover,  what  news  ? '  asked  the  latter. 
'  Have  you  done  what  I  told  you  ?  ' 

" '  Everything,'  the  man  answered,  taking  a  letter 
from  his  pocket.  '  Here  is  the  letter  you  wanted.' 

"  Nikola  took  the  letter  from  his  subordinate's  hand, 
broke  the  seal,  and  having  withdrawn  the  contents,  read 
it  carefully.  All  this  time,  seeing  resistance  was  quite 
useless,  I  did  not  move.  I  felt  too  sick  and  giddy  for 
anything.  When  he  had  finished  his  correspondence 
Nikola  said  something  in  an  undertone  to  Draper,  who 
immediately  left  the  room.  During  the  time  he  was 
absent  none  of  us  spoke.  Presently  he  returned  bring 
ing  with  him  a  wine  glass  filled  with  water,  which  he 
presented  to  Nikola. 

" '  Thank  you,'  said  that  gentleman,  feeling  in  his 
waistcoat  pocket.  After  a  while  he  found  what  he 
wanted  and  produced  what  looked  like  a  small  silver 
scent  bottle.  Unscrewing  the  top  he  poured  from  it 
into  the  wine  glass  a  few  drops  of  some  dark-coloured 
liquid.  Having  done  this  he  smelt  it  carefully  and  then 
handed  it  to  me. 

" '  I  must  ask  you  to  drink  this,  my  lord,'  he  said. 
*  You  need  have  no  fear  of  the  result ;  it  is  perfectly 
harmless.' 
15 


220  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  Did  ever  man  hear  such  a  cool  proposition  ?  Nat 
urally  I  declined  to  do  as  he  wished. 

"  '  You  must  drink  it ! '  he  reiterated.  '  Pray  do  so 
at  once.  I  have  no  time  to  waste  bandying  words  with 
you.' 

" '  I  will  not  drink  it ! '  I  cried,  rising  to  my  f oet, 
and  prepared  to  make  a  fight  for  it  if  need  should  be. 

"  Once  more  those  eyes  grew  terrible,  and  once  more 
that  hand  began  to  make  the  passes  before  my  face. 
Again  I  felt  the  dizziness  stealing  over  me.  His  will 
was  getting  too  strong  for  me  again.  I  could  not  resist 
him.  So  when  he  once  more  said  '  Drink  ! '  I  took  the 
glass  and  did  as  I  was  ordered.  After  that  I  remember 
seeing  Nikola,  Draper,  and  the  man  they  called  East- 
over,  engaged  in  earnest  conversation  on  the  other  side 
of  the  room.  I  remember  Nikola  crossing  the  room  to 
where  I  sat  and  gazing  steadfastly  into  my  face,  and 
after  that  I  recollect  no  more  until  I  came  to  my  senses 
in  this  room,  to  find  myself  bound  and  gagged.  For 
what  seemed  like  hours  I  lay  in  agony,  then  I  heard 
footsteps  in  the  verandah  and  the  sound  of  voices.  I 
tried  to  call  for  help  but  could  utter  no  words.  I 
thought  you  would  go  away  without  discovering  me, 
but  fortunately  for  me  you  did  not.  Now,  Mr.  Ilat- 
teras,  I  have  told  you  everything ;  you  know  my  story 
from  the  moment  you  left  me  up  to  the  present." 

For  some  time  after  the  Marquis  had  concluded  his 
strange  story  both  the  inspector  and  I  sat  in  deep 
thought.  That  Beckeuham  had  been  kidnapped  in 
order  that  he  should  be  out  of  the  way  while  the  vil 
lainous  plot  for  abducting  Phyllis  was  being  enacted, 
there  could  be  no  doubt.  But  why  had  he  been  chosen? 
and  what  clues  were  we  to  gather  from  what  his  lord 
ship  had  told  us?  I  turned  to  the  inspector  and  said : 


LORD  BECKENHAM'S  STORY.  221 

"  What  do  you  think  will  be  the  best  course  for  us 
to  pursue  now  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  wondering  myself.  I  think,  as  there 
is  nothing  to  be  learned  from  this  house,  the  better  plan 
would  be  for  you  two  gentlemen  to  go  back  to  Mr. 
Wetherell,  while  I  return  to  the  detective  office  and 
see  if  anything  has  been  discovered  by  the  men  there. 
As  soon  as  I  have  found  out  I  will  join  you  at  Potts 
Point.  What  do  you  think  ?  " 

I  agreed  that  it  would  be  the  best  course ;  so,  taking 
the  Marquis  by  the  arms  (for  he  was  still  too  weak  to 
walk  alone),  we  left  the  house  and  were  about  to  step 
into  the  street  when  I  stopped,  and  asking  them  to  wait 
for  me  ran  back  into  the  room  again.  In  the  corner, 
just  as  it  had  been  thrown  down,  lay  the  rope  with 
which  Beckenham  had  been  bound  and  the  pad  which 
had  been  fitted  over  his  mouth.  I  picked  both  up  and 
carried  them  into  the  verandah. 

"  Come  here,  Mr.  Inspector,"  I  cried.  "  I  thought  I 
should  learn  something  from  this.  Take  a  look  at  this 
rope  and  this  pad  and  tell  me  what  you  make  of 
them." 

He  took  each  up  in  turn  and  looked  them  over  and 
over.  But  he  only  shook  his  head. 

"  I  don't  see  anything  to  guide  us  here,"  he  said  as 
he  laid  them  down  again. 

"  Don't  you  ?  "  I  cried.  "  Why,  they  tell  me  more 
than  I  have  learnt  from  anything  else  I've  seen.  Look 
at  the  two  ends  of  this."  (Here  I  took  up  the  rope  and 
showed  it  to  him.)  "  They're  seized  ! " 

I  looked  triumphantly  at  him,  but  he  only  stared 
at  me  in  surprise,  and  said,  "  What  do  you  mean  by 
'seized'?" 

"  Why,  I  mean  that  the  ends  are  bound  up  in  this 


222  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

way — look  for  yourself.  Now  not  one  landsman  in  a 
hundred  seizes  a  rope's  end.  This  line  was  taken  from 

some  ship  in  the  harbour,  and By  Jove !  here's 

another  discovery !  " 

"  What  now  ?  "  he  cried,  almost  as  excited  by  this 
time  as  I  was  myself. 

"  Why,  look  here,"  I  said,  holding  the  middle  of  the 
rope  up  so  that  we  could  get  a  better  view  of  it.  "  Not 
very  many  hours  ago  this  rope  was  running  through  a 
block,  and  that  block  was  rather  an  uncommon  one." 

" How  do  you  know  it  was  an  uncommon  one?" 

"  Because  it  has  been  newly  painted,  and  what's  fun 
nier  still,  painted  green,  of  all  other  colours.  Look  at 
this  streak  of  paint  along  the  line ;  see  how  it's  smudged. 
Now  let's  review  the  case  as  we  walk  along." 

So  saying,  with  the  Marquis  between  us,  we  set  off 
down  the  street,  hoping  soon  to  pick  up  an  early  cab. 

"  First  and  foremost,"  I  said,  "  remember  old  Dra 
per's  talk  of  the  South  Seas — remember  the  collection  of 
curios  he  possessed.  Probably  he  owns  a  schooner,  and 
it's  more  than  probable  that  this  line  and  this  bit  of 
canvas  came  from  it." 

"  I  see  what  you're  driving  at,"  said  the  inspector. 
"  It's  worth  considering.  Directly  I  get  to  the  office  I 
will  set  men  to  work  to  try  and  find  this  mysterious 
gentleman.  You  would  know  him  again,  my  lord  ?  " 

"  I  should  know  him  anywhere,"  was  Beckenham's 
immediate  reply. 

"  And  have  you  any  idea  at  all  where  this  house  to 
which  he  conducted  you  is  located  ?  " 

"  None  at  all.  I  only  know  that  it  was  about  half 
way  down  a  street  of  which  all  the  houses,  save  the  one 
at  the  corner — which  was  a  grocer's  shop — were  one- 
storied  villas." 


LORD   BECKENHAM'S  STORY.  223 

"  Nothing  a  little  more  definite,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Stay !  I  remember  that  there  was  an  empty  house 
with  broken  windows  almost  opposite,  and  that  on 
either  side  of  the  steps  leading  up  to  the  front  door 
were  two  stone  eagles  with  outstretched  wings.  The 
head  of  one  of  the  eagles — the  left,  I  think — was  miss 
ing." 

The  inspector  noted  these  things  in  his  pocket-book, 
and  just  as  he  had  finished  we  picked  up  a  cab  and 
called  it  to  the  side  walk.  When  we  had  got  in  and 
given  the  driver  Mr.  Wetherell's  address,  I  said  to  the 
inspector : 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  first?" 

"  Put  some  men  on  to  find  Mr.  Draper,  and  some 
more  to  find  an  island  schooner  with  her  blocks  newly 
painted  green." 

"  You  won't  be  long  in  letting  us  know  what  you 
discover,  will  you?"  I  said.  "Remember  how  anxious 
we  all  are." 

"  You  may  count  on  my  coming  to  you  at  once  with 
any  news  I  may  have,"  he  said. 

A  few  moments  later  we  drew  up  at  Mr.  Wetherell's 
door.  Bidding  the  Inspector  good-bye  we  went  up  the 
steps  and  rang  the  bell.  By  the  time  the  cab  was  out  in 
the  street  again  we  were  in  the  house  making  our  way, 
behind  the  butler,  to  Mr.  Wetherell's  study. 

The  old  gentleman  had  not  gone  to  bed,  but  sat  just 
as  I  had  left  him  so  man}7  hours  before.  As  soon  as  we 
were  announced  he  rose  to  receive  us. 

"  Thank  God,  Mr.  Hatteras,  you  have  come  back  ! " 
he  said.  "  I  have  been  in  a  perfect  fever  waiting  for 
you.  What  have  you  to  report  ?  " 

"Not  very  much,  I'm  afraid,"  I  answered.  "But 
first  let  me  have  the  pleasure  of  introducing  the  real 


224  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Marquis  of  Beckenham  to  you,  whom  we  have  had  the 
good  fortune  to  find  and  rescue." 

Mr.  Wetherell  bowed  gravely  and  held  out  his  hand. 

"  My  lord,"  he  said,  "  I  am  thankful  that  you  have 
been  discovered.  I  look  upon  it  as  one  step  towards  the 
recovery  of  my  poor  girl.  I  hope  now  that  both  you  and 
Mr.  Hatteras  will  take  up  your  abode  with  me  during 
the  remainder  of  your  stay  in  the  colony.  You  have 
had  a  scurvy  welcome  to  New  South  Wales.  But  we 
must  see  if  we  can't  make  up  to  you  for  it.  You  look 
thoroughly  worn  out,  my  lord ;  I  expect  you  would  like 
to  go  to  bed." 

He  rang  the  bell,  and  when  his  butler  appeared  gave 
him  some  instructions  about  preparing  rooms  for  us. 

Ten  minutes  later  the  man  returned  and  stated  that 
our  rooms  were  ready,  whereupon  Mr.  Wetherell  him 
self  conducted  Beckenham  to  his.  When  he  returned 
to  me,  he  asked  if  I  would  not  like  to  retire  too,  but  I 
would  not  hear  of  it.  I  could  not  have  slept  a  wink,  so 
great  was  my  anxiety.  Seeing  this,  he  seated  himself 
and  listened  attentively  while  I  gave  him  an  outline  of 
Beckenham's  story.  I  had  hardly  finished  before  I  heard 
a  carriage  roll  up  to  the  door.  There  was  a  ring  at  the 
bell,  and  presently  the  butler,  who,  like  ourselves,  would 
not  dream  of  going  to  bed,  though  his  master  had  re 
peatedly  urged  him  to,  entered  and  announced  the 
inspector. 

Wetherell  hobbled  across  to  receive  him  with  an 
anxious  face.  "  Ilave  you  any  better  news  for  me  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"  Not  very  much,  I'm  afraid,  sir,"  the  inspector  said, 
shaking  his  head.  "  The  best  I  have  is  that  your  car 
riage  and  horse  have  been  found  in  the  yard  of  an  empty 
house  off  Pitt  Street." 


LORD  BECKENHAM'S  STORY.  225 

"  Have  you  been  able  to  discover  any  clue  as  to  who 
put  them  there  ?  " 

"  Not  one  !  The  horse  was  found  out  of  the  shafts 
tied  to  the  wall.  There  was  not  a  soul  about  the 
place." 

Wetherell  sat  down  again  and  covered  his  face  with 
his  hands.  At  that  instant  the  telephone  bell  in  the 
corner  of  the  room  rang  sharply.  I  jumped  up  and 
went  across  to  it.  Placing  the  receivers  to  my  ears,  I 
heard  a  small  voice  say,  "  Is  that  Mr.  Wetherell's  house, 
Potts  Point?" 

"  Yes,"  I  answered. 

"  Who  is  speaking  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Hatteras.  Mr.  Wetherell,  however,  is  in  the 
room.  Who  are  you  ?" 

"  Detective  officer.  Will  you  tell  Mr.  Wetherell  that 
Mr.  Draper's  house  has  been  discovered  ?  " 

I  communicated  the  message  to  Mr.  Wetherell,  and 
then  the  inspector  joined  me  at  the  instrument  and 
spoke. 

"  Where  is  the  house  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  83  Charlemagne  Street — north  side." 

"  Very  good.  Inspector  Murdkin  speaking.  Let 
plain  clothes  men  be  stationed  at  either  end  of  the 
street,  and  tell  them  to  be  on  the  look  out  for  Draper, 
and  to  wait  for  me.  I'll  start  for  the  house  at  once." 

"  Very  good,  sir." 

He  rang  off  and  then  turned  to  me. 

"  Are  you  too  tired  to  come  with  me,  Mr.  Hatteras?" 
he  inquired. 

"  Of  course  not,"  I  answered.     "  Let  us  go  at  once." 

"  God  bless  you,"  said  Wetherell.  "I  hope  you  may 
catch  the  fellow." 

Bidding  him  good-bye,  we  went  downstairs  again, 


226  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

and  jumped  into  the  cab,  which  was  directed  to  the 
street  in  question. 

Though  it  was  a  good  distance  from  our  starting 
point,  in  less  than  half  an  hour  we  were  there  and  had 
pulled  up  at  the  corner.  As  the  cab  stopped,  a  tall  man, 
dressed  in  blue  serge,  who  had  been  standing  near  the 
lamp-post,  came  forward  and  touched  his  hat. 

"Good  morning,  Williams,"  said  the  inspector. 
"  Any  sign  of  our  man  ?  " 

"Not  one,  sir.  He  hasn't  come  down  the  street 
since  I've  been  here." 

"  Very  good.  Then  come  along  and  we'll  pay  the 
house  a  visit." 

So  saying  he  told  the  cabman  to  follow  us  slowly, 
and  we  proceeded  down  the  street.  About  half-way 
along  he  stopped  and  pointed  to  a  house  on  the  opposite 
side. 

"  That  is  the  house  his  lordship  mentioned,  with  the 
broken  windows ;  and  this  one  is  where  Mr.  Draper 
dwells,  if  I  am  not  much  mistaken — see  the  eagles  on 
either  side  of  the  step  just  as  described." 

It  was  exactly  as  Beckenham  had  told  us,  even  to  the 
extent  of  the  headless  eagle  on  the  left  of  the  steps.  It 
was  a  pretty  little  place,  and  evidently  still  occupied,  as 
a  housemaid  was  busily  engaged  cleaning  the  steps. 

Pushing  open  the  gate,  the  inspector  entered  the 
little  garden  and  accosted  the  girl. 

"  Good  morning,"  he  said  politely.  "  Pray,  is  your 
master  at  home  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir;  he's  at  breakfast  just  now." 

"  Well,  would  you  mind  telling  him  that  some  gen 
tlemen  would  like  to  see  him?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

The  girl  rose  to  her  feet,  and,  wiping  her  hands  on 


LORD  BECKENHAM'S  STORY.  227 

her  apron,  led  the  way  into  the  house.  We  followed 
close  behind  her.  Asking  us  to  wait  a  moment  where 
we  were,  she  knocked  at  a  door  on  the  right  and  disap 
peared  within. 

"  Now,"  said  the  inspector,  "  our  man  will  probably 
appear,  and  we  shall  have  him  nicely." 

He  had  scarcely  spoken  before  the  door  through 
which  the  servant  had  passed  opened  again,  and  a  man 
came  out.  To  our  surprise  he  was  very  tall  and  stout, 
with  a  round  jovial  face,  and  an  air  of  being  well  sat 
isfied  with  himself  and  the  world  in  general. 

"  To  what  do  I  owe  the  honour  of  this  visit?"  he 
said,  looking  at  the  inspector. 

"  I  am  an  Inspector  of  Police,  as  you  see,"  answered 
my  companion,  "  and  we  are  looking  for  a  man  named 
Draper,  who  yesterday  was  in  possession  of  this  house." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  have  made  some  little  mistake," 
returned  the  other.  "  I  am  the  occupier  of  this  house, 
and  have  been  for  some  months  past.  No  Mr.  Draper 
has  anything  to  do  with  it." 

The  inspector's  face  was  a  study  for  perfect  bewil 
derment.  Nor  could  mine  have  been  much  else.  The 
Marquis  had  given  such  a  minute  description  of  the 
dwelling  opposite  and  the  two  stone  birds  on  the  steps, 
that  there  could  be  no  room  for  doubt  that  this  was  the 
house.  And  yet  it  was  physically  impossible  that  this 
man  could  be  Draper ;  and  if  it  were  the  place  where 
Beckeuham  had  been  drugged  where  were  the  weapons, 
etc.,  he  had  described  as  being  in  the  hall  ? 

"  I  cannot  understand  it  at  all,"  said  the  inspector, 
turning  to  me.  "  This  is  the  house,  and  yet  where  are 
the  things  with  which  it  ought  to  be  furnished  ?  " 

"You  have  a  description  of  the  furniture,  then?" 
said  the  owner.  "  Ah !  that  is  good,  for  it  will  enable 


228  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

me  to  prove  to  you  even  more  clearly  that  you  are  mis 
taken.  Pray  come  and  see  my  sitting-rooms  for  your 
selves." 

He  led  the  way  into  the  room  from  which  he  had 
been  summoned,  and  we  followed  him.  It  was  small 
and  nicely  furnished,  but  not  a  South  Sea  curio  or  na 
tive  weapon  was  there  in  it.  Then  we  followed  him  to 
the  corresponding  room  at  the  back  of  the  house.  This 
was  upholstered  in  the  latest  fashion ;  but  again  there 
was  no  sign  of  what  Beckenham  had  led  us  to  expect 
we  should  see.  We  were  completely  mystified. 

"  I  am  afraid  we  have  troubled  you  without  cause," 
said  the  inspector,  as  we  passed  into  the  hall  again. 

"  Don't  mention  it,"  he  answered ;  "  I  find  my  com 
pensation  in  the  knowledge  that  I  am  not  involved  in 
any  police  unpleasantness." 

"  By  the  way,"  said  the  inspector,  suddenly,  "  have 
you  any  idea  who  your  neighbours  may  be  ?  " 

"  Oh,  dear,  yes !  "  the  man  replied.  "  On  my  right  I 
have  a  frigidly  respectable  widow  of  Low  Church  tend 
encies.  On  my  left,  the  Chief  Teller  of  the  Bank  of 
New  Holland.  Both  very  worthy  members  of  society, 
and  not  at  all  the  sort  of  people  to  be  criminally  in 
clined." 

"  In  that  case  we  can  only  apologise  for  our  intru 
sion,  and  wish  you  good  morning." 

"  Pray,  don't  apologise.  I  should  have  been  glad  to 
have  assisted  you.  Good  morning." 

We  went  down  the  steps  again  and  out  into  the 
street.  As  we  passed  out  of  the  gate,  the  inspector 
stopped  and  examined  a  mark  on  the  right  hand  post. 
Then  he  stooped  and  picked  up  what  looked  like  a  peb 
ble.  Having  done  so,  we  resumed  our  walk. 

"  What   on  earth  can  be  the  meaning  of    it   all  ? " 


LORD   BECKENHAM'S  STORY.  229 

I  asked.  "  Could  his  lordship  have  made  a  mis 
take?" 

"  No !  I  think  not.  We  have  been  cleverly  duped, 
that's  all." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  How  have  we  been  duped  ? 
What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  think  so  until  we  passed  through  the  gate 
on  our  way  out.  Now  I'm  certain  of  it.  Come  across 
the  street." 

I  followed  him  across  the  road  to  a  small  plain-look 
ing  house,  with  a  neatly-curtained  bow  window,  and  a 
brass  plate  on  the  front  door.  From  the  latter  I  discov 
ered  that  the  proprietor  of  the  place  was  a  dressmaker, 
but  I  was  completely  at  a  loss  to  understand  why  we 
were  visiting  her. 

When  the  door  was  opened,  the  inspector  asked  if 
Miss  Tiffins  were  at  home,  and  being  told  that  she 
was,  enquired  if  we  might  see  her.  The  maid  went 
away  to  find  out,  and  presently  returned  and  begged 
us  to  follow  her.  We  did  so  down  a  small  passage 
towards  the  door  of  the  room  where  was  the  bow  win 
dow. 

Miss  Tiffins  was  a  lady  of  uncertain  age,  with  a  prim, 
precise  manner,  wearing  a  cap  and  corkscrew  curls.  She 
seemed  at  a  loss  to  understand  our  errand,  but  bade  us 
be  seated,  and  then  asked  in  what  way  she  could  be  of 
service  to  us. 

"  In  the  first  place,  madam,"  said  the  inspector, 
"  let  me  tell  you  that  I  am  an  Officer  of  Police.  A  seri 
ous  crime  has  been  perpetrated,  and  I  have  reason  to 
believe  that  it  may  be  in  your  power  to  give  us  a  clue 
to  the  persons  who  committed  it." 

"You  frighten  me,  sir,"  replied  the  lady.  "I  can 
not  at  all  see  how  I  can  help  you.  I  lead  a  life  of  the 


230  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

greatest  quietness.  How,  therefore,  can  I  know  any 
thing  of  such  people  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  imply  that  you  know  anything 
at  all  of  them.  I  only  want  you  to  carry  your  memory 
back  as  far  as  yesterday,  and  to  answer  me  a  few  ques 
tions  I  may  ask  you." 

"  I  will  answer  them  to  the  best  of  my  ability." 

"  Well,  in  the  first  place,  do  you  remember  seeing  a 
brougham  drive  up  to  that  house  opposite,  about  mid 
day  yesterday  ?  " 

"  No,  I  cannot  say  that  I  do,"  the  old  lady  replied 
after  a  moment's  consideration. 

"  Do  you  remember  seeing  a  number  of  men  leave 
the  house  during  the  afternoon  ?  " 

"  No  !     If  they  came  out,  I  did  not  notice  them." 

"  Now,  think  for  one  moment,  if  you  please,  and 
tell  me  what  vehicles,  if  any,  you  remember  seeing 
drive  up  and  stop  there." 

"Let  me  try  to  remember.  There  was  Judge's 
baker's  cart  about  three,  the  milk  about  five,  and  a 
furniture  van  about  half-past  six." 

"  That's  what  I  want  to  know.  And  have  you  any 
recollection  whose  furniture  van  it  was  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  remember  reading  the  name  as  it  turned 
round.  Goddard  and  James,  George  Street.  I  wondered 
if  the  tenant  was  going  to  move." 

The  inspector  rose,  and  I  followed  his  example. 

"  I  am  exceedingly  obliged  to  you,  Miss  Tiffins.  You 
have  helped  me  materially." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,"  she  answered ;  "  but  I  trust  I 
shall  not  be  wanted  to  give  evidence  in  court.  I  really 
could  not  do  it." 

"  You  need  have  no  fear  on  that  score,"  the  inspector 
answered.  "  Good-day." 


LORD  BECKENHAM'S  STORY.  231 

"  Good-day." 

When  we  had  left  the  house,  the  inspector  turned  to 
me  and  said — 

"  It  was  a  piece  of  luck  finding  a  dressmaker  oppo 
site.  Commend  me  to  ladies  of  that  profession  for  know 
ing  what  goes  on  in  the  street.  Now  we  will  visit  Messrs. 
Goddard  and  James  and  see  who  hired  the  things. 
Meantime,  AVilliams"  (here  he  called  the  plain-clothes 
constable  to  him),  "you  had  better  remain  here  and 
watch  that  house.  If  the  man  we  saw  comes  out,  follow 
him,  and  let  me  know  where  he  goes." 

"  Very  good,  sir,"  the  constable  replied,  and  we  left 
him  to  his  vigil. 

Then  hailing  a  passing  cab,  we  jumped  into  it  and 
directed  the  driver  to  convey  us  to  George  Street.  By 
this  time  it  was  getting  on  for  midday,  and  we  were  both 
worn  out.  But  I  was  in  such  a  state  of  nervousness  that 
I  could  not  remain  inactive.  Phyllis  had  been  in  Niko 
la's  hands  nearly  thirteen  hours,  and  so  far  we  had  not 
obtained  one  single  definite  piece  of  information  as  to  her 
whereabouts. 

Arriving  at  the  shop  of  Messrs.  Goddard  and  James, 
we  went  inside  and  asked  to  see  the  chief  partner.  An 
assistant  immediately  conveyed  us  to  an  office  at  the 
rear  of  the  building,  where  we  found  an  elderly  gentle 
man  writing  at  a  desk.  He  looked  up  as  we  entered, 
and  then,  seeing  the  inspector's  uniform,  rose  and  asked 
our  business. 

"  The  day  before  yesterday,"  began  my  companion, 
"  you  supplied  a  gentleman  with  a  number  of  South  Sea 
weapons  and  curios  on  hire,  did  you  not  ?  " 

"  I  remember  doing  so — yes  ! "  was  the  old  gentle 
man's  answer.  "  What  about  it  ?  " 

"  Only  I  should  be  glad  if  you  would  favour  me  with 


232  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

a  description  of  the  person  who  called  upon  you  about 
them — or  a  view  of  the  letter  if  he  wrote." 

"  He  called  and  saw  me  personally." 

"  Ah  !  That  is  good.  Now  would  you  be  so  kind  as 
to  describe  him  ?  " 

"  Well,  in  the  first  place,  he  was  very  tall  and  rather 
handsome,  he  had,  if  I  remember  rightly,  a  long  brown 
moustache,  and  was  well  dressed." 

"  That  doesn't  tell  us  very  much,  does  it?  Was  he 
alone?" 

"  No.  He  had  with  him,  when  he  came  into  the  of 
fice,  an  individual  whose  face  singularly  enough  remains 
fixed  in  my  memory.  Indeed  I  cannot  get  it  out  of  my 
head." 

Instantly  I  became  all  excitement. 

"What  was  this  second  person  like?"  asked  the 
inspector. 

"  Well,  I  can  hardly  tell  you — that  is  to  say,  I  can 
hardly  give  you  a  good  enough  description  of  him  to 
make  you  see  him  as  I  saw  him.  lie  was  tall  and  yet 
very  slim,  had  black  hair,  a  sallow  complexion,  and  the 
blackest  eyes  I  ever  saw  in  a  man.  He  was  clean-shaven 
and  exquisitely  dressed,  and  when  he  spoke,  his  teeth 
glittered  like  so  many  pearls.  I  never  saw  another  man 
like  him  in  my  life." 

"  Nikola  for  a  thousand,"  I  cried,  bringing  my  hand 
down  with  a  thump  upon  the  table. 

"  It  looks  as  if  we're  on  the  track  at  last,"  said  the 
inspector.  Then,  turning  to  Mr.  Goddard  again :  "  And 
may  I  ask  now  what  excuse  they  made  to  you  for  want 
ing  these  things?" 

"  They  did  not  say — they  simply  paid  a  certain  sum 
down  for  the  hire  of  them,  gave  me  their  address,  and 
then  left." 


LORD  BECKENHAM'S  STORY.  233 

"  And  the  address  was  ?  " 

"  83,  Charlemagne  Street.  Our  van  took  the  things 
there,  and  fetched  them  away  last  night." 

"  Thank  you.  And  now  one  or  two  other  questions. 
What  name  did  the  hirer  give  ?  " 

"  Eastover." 

"  And  when  they  left  your  shop,  how  did  they  go 


away 


9" 


"A  cab  was  waiting  at  the  door  for  them,  and  I 
walked  out  to  it  with  them." 

"  There  were  only  two  of  them,  you  think  ?  " 

"  No.  There  was  a  third  person  waiting  for  them 
in  the  cab,  and  it  was  that  very  circumstance  which 
made  me  anxious  to  have  my  things  brought  back  as 
soon  as  possible.  If  I  had  been  able  to,  I  should  have 
even  declined  to  let  them  go." 

"  Why  so?"- 

"  Well,  to  tell  you  that  would  involve  a  story.  But 
perhaps  I  had  better  tell  you.  It  was  in  this  way.  About 
three  years  ago  through  a  distant  relative  I  got  to  know 
a  man  named  Draper." 

"  Draper,"  I  cried.  "  You  don't  mean — but  there,  I 
beg  your  pardon — pray  go  on." 

"  As  I  say,  I  got  to  know  this  man  Draper,  who  was 
a  South  Sea  trader.  We  met  once  or  twice,  and  then 
grew  more  intimate.  So  friendly  did  we  at  last  become 
that  I  even  went  so  far  as  to  put  some  money  into  a 
scheme  he  proposed  to  me.  It  was  a  total  failure. 
Draper  proved  a  perfect  fraud  and  a  most  unbusiness 
like  person,  and  all  I  got  out  of  the  transaction  were 
the  cases  of  curios  and  weapons  which  this  man  East- 
over  hired  from  me.  It  was  because,  when  I  went  out 
with  my  customers  to  their  cab,  I  saw  this  man  Draper 
waiting  for  them  that  I  became  uneasy  about  my  things. 


234  A   BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

However,  all's  well  that  ends  well,  and  as  they  returned 
my  goods  and  paid  the  hire,  I  must  not  grumble." 

"  And  now  tell  me  what  you  know  of  Draper's  pres 
ent  life  ?  "  the  inspector  said. 

"  Ah  !  I'm  afraid  I  can  tell  you  little.  He  has  been 
twice  declared  bankrupt,  and  the  last  time  there  was 
some  fuss  made  over  his  schooner,  the  Merry  Duchess" 

"  He  possesses  a  schooner,  then  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  A  nice  boat.  She's  in  harbour  now,  I 
fancy." 

"  Thank  you  very  much,  Mr.  Goddard.  I  am 
obliged  to  you  for  your  assistance  in  this  matter." 

"  Don't  mention  it.  I  hope  that  what  I  have  told  you 
will  prove  of  service  to  you." 

"  I'm  sure  it  will.     Good-day." 

"  Good-day,  gentlemen." 

He  accompanied  us  to  the  door,  and  then  bade  us 
farewell. 

"  Now  what  are  we  to  do  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Well,  first,  I'm  going  back  to  the  office  to  put  a 
man  on  to  find  this  schooner,  and  then  I'm  going  to 
take  an  hour  or  two's  rest.  By  that  time  we  shall  know 
enough  to  be  able  to  lay  our  hands  on  Dr.  Nikola  and 
his  victim,  I  hope." 

"  God  grant  we  may." 

"  Where  are  you  going  now  ?  " 

"  Back  to  Potts  Point,"  I  answered. 

We  thereupon  bade  each  other  farewell,  and  set  off 
in  different  directions. 

When  I  reached  Mr.  Wetherell's  house,  I  learned 
from  the  butler  that  his  master  had  fallen  asleep  in  the 
library.  So,  not  wishing  to  disturb  him,  I  euquired  for 
my  own  bedroom,  and,  on  being  conducted  to  it,  laid 
myself  down  dressed  upon  the  bed.  So  utterly  worn 


LORD  BECKEXHAM'S  STORY.  235 

out  was  I,  that  my  head  had  no  sooner  touched  the  pil 
low  than  I  was  fast  asleep.  How  long  I  lay  there  I  do 
not  know,  but  when  I  woke,  it  was  to  find  Mr.  Wetherell 
standing  beside  me,  holding  a  letter  in  his  hand.  He 
was  white  as  a  sheet,  and  trembling  in  every  limb. 

"  Read  this,  Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  cried.  "  For  Heaven's 
sake  tell  me  what  we  are  to  do  ! " 

I  sat  up  on  the  side  of  the  bed  and  read  the  letter  he 
handed  to  me.  It  was  written  in  what  was  evidently  a 
disguised  hand  on  common  note-paper,  and  ran  as  fol 
lows: 

"  To  MR.  WETHERELL,  Potts  Point,  Sydney. 

"  DEAR  SIR  :  This  is  to  inform  you  that  your 
daughter  is  in  very  safe  keeping.  If  you  wish  to  find 
her,  you  had  better  be  quick  about  it.  What's  more, 
you  had  better  give  up  consulting  the  police,  and  such 
like,  in  the  hope  of  getting  hold  of  her.  The  only  way 
you  can  get  her  will  be  to  act  as  follows.  At  eight 
o'clock  to-night  charter  a  boat  and  pull  down  the  har 
bour  as  far  as  Shark  Point.  When  you  get  there  light 
your  pipe  three  times,  and  someone  in  a  boat  near  by 
will  do  the  same.  Be  sure  to  bring  with  you  the  sum 
of  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  in  gold,  and  this  is  most 
important — bring  with  you  the  little  stick  you  got  from 
China  Pete,  or  do  not  come  at  all.  Above  all,  do  not 
bring  more  than  one  man.  If  you  do  not  put  in  an  ap 
pearance,  you  will  not  hear  of  your  daughter  again. 

"  Yours  obediently, 
"  THE  MAN"  WHO  KNO.WS." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

FOLLOWING   UP   A   CLUE. 

FOR  some  moments  after  I  had  perused  the  curious 
epistle  Mr.  Wetherell  had  brought  into  my  room  I  re 
mained  wrapped  in  thought. 

"  What  do  you  make  of  it?"  my  companion  asked. 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  say,"  I  answered,  looking  at 
it  again.  "  One  thing,  however,  is  quite  certain,  and 
that  is,  despite  its  curious  wording,  it  is  intended  that 
you  should  take  it  seriously." 

"You  think  that?" 

"  I  do  indeed.  But  I  think  when  the  inspector 
arrives  it  would'be  just  as  well  to  show  it  to  him.  What 
do  you  say  ?  " 

"  I  agree  with  you.  Let  us  defer  consideration  of  it 
until  we  see  him." 

When,  an  hour  later,  the  inspector  put  in  an  appear 
ance,  the  letter  was  accordingly  placed  before  him,  and 
his  opinion  asked  concerning  it.  He  read  it  through 
without  comment,  carefully  examined  the  writing  and 
signature,  and  finally  held  it  up  to  the  light.  When  he 
had  done  this  he  turned  to  me  and  said  : 

"  Have  you  that  envelope  we  found  at  the  Canary 
Bird,  Mr.  Hatteras?" 

I  took  it  out  of  my  pocket  and  handed  it  to  him. 
He  then  placed  it  on  the  table  side  by  side  with  the 

236 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  237 

letter  and  through  a  magnifying  glass  scrutinised  both 
carefully.  Having  done  so,  he  asked  for  the  envelope  in 
which  it  had  arrived.  Mr.  Wetherell  had  thrown  it  into 
the  waste-paper  basket,  but  a  moment's  search  brought 
it  to  light.  Again  he  scrutinised  both  the  first  envelope 
and  the  letter,  and  then  compared  them  with  the  second 
cover. 

"  Yes ;  I  thought  so,"  he  said.  "  This  letter  was  writ 
ten  either  by  Nikola  or  at  his  desire.  The  paper  is  the 
same  as  he  purchased  at  the  stationer's  shop  we  visited." 

"  And  what  had  we  better  do  now  ?  "  queried  Weth 
erell,  who  had  been  eagerly  waiting  for  him  to  give  his 
opinion. 

"  We  must  think,"  said  the  inspector.  "  In  the  first 
place,  I  suppose  you  don't  feel  inclined  to  pay  the  large 
sum  mentioned  here?" 

"  Not  if  I  can  help  it,  of  course,"  answered  Wether- 
ell.  "  But  if  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst,  and  I  cannot 
rescue  my  poor  girl  in  any  other  way,  I  would  sacrifice 
even  more  than  that." 

"  Well,  we'll  see  if  we  can  find  her  without  paying 
anything,"  the  inspector  cried.  "  I've  got  an  idea  in 
my  head." 

"And  what  is  that?"  I  cried,  for  I,  too,  had  been 
thinking  out  a  plan. 

"  Well,  first  and  foremost,"  he  answered,  "  I  want 
you,  Mr.  Wetherell,  to  tell  me  all  you  can  about  your 
servants.  Let  us  begin  with  the  butler.  How  long  has 
he  been  with  you  ?  " 

"  Nearly  twenty  years." 

"A  good  servant,  I  presume,  and  a  trustworthy 
man?" 

"  To  the  last  degree.  I  have  implicit  confidence  in 
him." 


238  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"Then  we  may  dismiss  him  from  our  minds.  I 
think  I  saw  a  footman  in  the  hall.  How  long  has  he 
been  with  you  ?  " 

"  Just  about  three  months." 

"  And  what  sort  of  fellow  is  he  ?  " 

"  I  really  could  not  tell  you  very  much  about  him. 
He  seems  intelligent,  quick,  and  willing,  and  up  to  his 
work." 

"  Is  your  cook  a  man  or  a  woman  ?  " 

"  A  woman.  She  has  been  with  me  since  before  my 
wife's  death — that  is  to  say,  nearly  ten  years.  You  need 
have  no  suspicion  of  her." 

"  Housemaids  ?  " 

"Two.  Both  have  been  with  me  some  time,  and 
seem  steady,  respectable  girls.  There  is  also  a  kitchen- 
maid  ;  but  she  has  been  with  me  nearly  as  long  as  my 
cook,  and  I  would  stake  my  reputation  on  her  integrity." 

"  Well,  in  that  case  the  only  person  who  seems  at  all 
suspicious  is  the  footman.  May  we  have  him  up  ?  " 

"  With  pleasure.     I'll  ring  for  him." 

Mr.  Wetherell  rang  the  bell,  and  a  moment  later  it 
was  answered  by  the  man  himself. 

"  Come  in,  James,  and  shut  the  door  behind  you," 
said  his  master. 

The  man  did  as  he  was  ordered,  but  not  without 
looking,  as  I  thought,  a  little  uncomfortable.  The  in 
spector,  I  could  see,  had  noticed  this,  for  he  had  been 
watching  him  intently  ever  since  he  had  appeared  in 
the  room. 

"  James,"  said  Mr.  Wetherell,  the  inspector  of  Police 
wishes  to  ask  you  a  few  questions.  Answer  him  to  the 
best  of  your  ability." 

"  To  begin  with,"  said  the  Inspector,  "  I  want  you  to 
look  at  this  envelope.  Have  you  seen  it  before  ?  " 


FOLLOWING   UP  A  CLUE.  239 

He  handed  him  the  envelope  of  the  anonymous  letter 
addressed  to  Mr.  Wetherell.  The  man  took  it  and 
turned  it  over  in  his  hands. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  said,  "  I  have  seen  it  before  ;  I  took 
it  in  at  the  front  door." 

"  From  whom  ?  " 

"  From  a  little  old  woman,  sir,"  the  man  answered. 

"  A  little  old  woman  ! "  cried  the  inspector,  evi 
dently  surprised.  "  What  sort  of  woman?  " 

"  Well,  sir,  I  don't  know  that  I  can  give  you  much 
of  a  description  of  her.  She  was  very  small,  had  a  sort 
of  nut-cracker  face,  a  little  black  poke  bonnet,  and 
walked  with  a  stick." 

"  Should  you  know  her  again  if  you  saw  her  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir." 

"Did  she  say  anything  when  she  gave  you  the 
letter  ? " 

"  Only,  '  For  Mr.  Wetherell,  young  man.'  That  was 
all,  sir." 

"  And  you  didn't  ask  if  there  was  an  answer  ?  That 
was  rather  a  singular  omission  on  your  part,  was  it 
not?" 

"  She  didn't  give  me  time,  sir.  She  just  put  it  into 
my  hand  and  went  down  the  steps  again." 

"  That  will  do.  Now,  Mr.  Wetherell,  I  think  we'd 
better  see  about  getting  that  money  from  the  bank. 
You  need  not  wait,  my  man." 

The  footman  thereupon  left  the  room,  while  both 
Mr.  Wetherell  and  I  stared  at  the  inspector  in  complete 
surprise.  He  laughed. 

"  You  are  wondering  why  I  said  that,"  he  said  at 
length. 

"  It  did  strike  me  as  curious,"  answered  Wetherell. 

"  Well,  let  me  tell  you  I  did  it  with  a  purpose.     Did 


240  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

you  notice  that  young  man's  face  when  he  entered  the 
room  and  when  I  gave  him  the  letter  ?  There  can  be 
no  doubt  about  it  he  is  in  the  secret." 

"  You  mean  that  he  is  in  Nikola's  employ  ?  Then 
why  don't  you  arrest  him  ?  " 

"  Because  I  want  to  be  quite  certain  first.  I  said 
that  about  the  money  because,  if  he  is  Nikola's  agent, 
he  will  carry  the  information  to  him,  and  by  doing  so 
keep  your  daughter  in  Sydney  for  at  least  a  day  longer. 
Do  you  see  ?  " 

"  I  do  !  and  I  admire  your  diplomacy.  Now  what 
is  your  plan  ?  " 

"  May  I  first  tell  mine  ?  "  I  said. 

"  Do  !  "  said  the  inspector.  "  For  mine  is  not  quite 
matured  yet." 

"  Well,"  I  said  ;  "  my  idea  is  this.  I  propose  that 
Mr.  Wetherell  shall  obtain  from  his  bank  a  number  of 
gold  bags,  fill  them  with  lead  discs  to  represent  coin, 
and  let  it  leak  out  before  this  man  that  he  has  got  the 
money  in  the  house.  Then  to-night  Mr.  Wetherell  will 
set  off  for  the  water-side.  I  will  row  him  down  the 
harbour  disguised  as  a  waterman.  We  pick  up  the 
other  boat  as  arranged  in  that  letter.  In  the  meantime 
you  start  from  the  other  side  in  a  police  boat,  pull  up  to 
meet  us  and  arrest  the  man.  Then  we  force  him  to 
disclose -Miss  WetherelPs  whereabouts,  and  act  upon  his 
information.  What  do  you  say  ?  " 

"  It  sounds  feasible,"  said  the  inspector,  and  Mr. 
Wetherell  nodded  his  head  approvingly.  At  that  mo 
ment  the  Marquis  entered  the  room,  looking  in  much 
better  spirits  than  on  the  preceding  night,  and  the  con 
versation  branched  off  into  a  different  channel. 

My  plot  seemed  to  commend  itself  so  much  to  Mr. 
Wetherell's  judgment  that  he  ordered  his  carriage  and 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  241 

drove  off  there  and  then  to  his  bank,  while  I  went  down' 
to  the  harbour,  arranged  about  a  boat,  and  having  done 
so  went  up  to  the  town,  where  I  purchased  a  false  beard, 
an  old  dugnaree  suit,  such  as  a  man  loafing  about  the 
harbour  might  wear,  and  an  old  slouch  hat  of  villainous 
appearance.  By  the  time  I  got  back  to  the  house  Mr. 
Wetherell  had  returned.  With  great  delight  he  con 
ducted  me  to  his  study,  and,  opening  his  safe,  showed 
me  a  number  of  canvas  bags,  on  each  of  which  was 
printed  £1000. 

"  But  surely  there  are  not  £100,000  there  ?  " 

"No,"  said  the  old  gentleman  with  a  chuckle. 
"  There  is  only  the  counterfeit  of  £50,000  there ;  for 
the  rest  I  propose  to  show  them  these." 

So  saying  he  dived  his  hand  into  a  drawer  and  pro 
duced  a  sheaf  of  crisp  bank-notes. 

"  There — these  are  the  notes  for  the  balance  of  the 
amount." 

"  But  you  surely  are  not  going  to  pay?  I  thought 
we  were  going  to  try  to  catch  them  without  letting  any 
money  pass." 

"  So  we  are ;  do  not  be  afraid.  If  you  glance  at 
these  notes  you  will  see  that  they  are  only  dummies, 
every  one  of  them.  They  are  for  me  to  exhibit  to  the 
man  in  the  boat ;  in  the  dark  they'll  pass  muster,  never 
fear." 

"  Very  good  indeed,"  I  said  with  a  laugh.  "  By  the 
time  they  are  examined  properly  we  shall  have  the  po 
lice  at  hand  ready  to  capture  him." 

"  I  believe  we  shall,"  the  old  gentleman  cried,  rub 
bing  his  hands  with  delight — "  I  believe  we  shall.  And 
a  nice  example  we'll  make  of  the  rascals.  Nikola 
thinks  he  can  beat  me;  I'll  show  him  how  mistaken 
he  is ! " 


242  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

And  for  some  time  the  old  gentleman  continued  in 
this  strain,  confidently  believing  that  he  would  have  his 
daughter  with  him  again  before  morning  came.  Nor 
was  I  far  behind  him  in  confidence.  Since  Nikola  had 
not  spirited  her  out  of  the  country  my  plot  seemed  the 
one  of  all  others  that  would  enable  us  to  get  possession 
of  her  again ;  and  not  only  that,  but  would  give  us  the 
opportunity  of  punishing  those  who  had  so  schemed 
against  her.  Suddenly  an  idea  was  born  in  my  brain, 
and  I  acted  on  it  instantly. 

"Mr.  Wetherell,"  I  said,  "supposing,  when  your 
daughter  is  safe  with  you  again,  I  presume  so  far  as  again 
to  offer  myself  for  your  son-in-law — what  will  you  say  ?  " 

"  What  will  I  say  ?  "  he  cried.  "  Why  I  will  say  that 
you  shall  have  her,  my  boy.  I  know  you  now,  and  since 
I've  treated  you  so  badly,  and  you've  taken  such  a  noble 
revenge — why  I'll  make  it  up  to  you  for  it  all,  or  my 
name's  not  Wetherell.  But  we  won't  talk  any  more  of 
that  till  we  have  possession  of  her ;  we  have  other  and 
more  important  things  to  think  of.  What  time  ought 
we  to  start  to-night  ?  " 

"  The  letter  fixes  the  meeting  for  ten  o'clock ;  we 
had  better  be  in  the  boat  by  half-past  nine.  In  the 
meantime  I  should  advise  you  to  take  a  little  rest.  By 
the  way,  do  you  think  your  footman  realises  that  you 
have  the  money  ?  " 

"  He  ought  to,  for  he  carried  it  up  to  this  room  for 
me ;  and,  what's  more,  he  has  applied  for  a  holiday  this 
afternoon." 

"  That's  to  carry  the  information.  Very  good ; 
everything  is  working  excellently.  Now  I'm  off  to  rest 
for  awhile." 

"  I'll  follow  your  example ;  in  the  meantime  I'll  give 
orders  for  an  early  dinner." 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  243 

"We  dined  at  seven  o'clock  sharp,  and  a  little  after 
eight  I  went  off  to  my  room  to  don  my  disguise ;  then, 
bidding  the  Marquis  good-bye — much  to  his  disgust,  for 
he  was  most  anxious  to  accompany  us — I  slipped  quietly 
out  of  my  window,  crossed  the  garden — I  hoped  un 
observed — and  then  went  down  to  the  harbour  side, 
where  the  boat  I  had  chartered  was  waiting  for  me.  A 
quarter  of  an  hour  later  AVetherelFs  carriage  drove  up, 
and  seeing  it  I  went  across  and  opened  the  door.  My 
disguise  was  so  perfect  that  for  a  moment  the  old  gen 
tleman  seemed  undecided  whether  to  trust  me  or  not. 
But  my  voice,  when  I  spoke,  soon  reassured  him,  and 
then  we  set  to  work  carrying  the  bags  of  spurious  money 
down  to  the  boat.  As  soon  as  this  was  done  we  stepped 
in — I  seated  myself  amidships  and  got  out  the  oars,  Mr. 
"NVetherell  taking  the  yolk-lines  in  the  stern.  Then, 
shoving  off,  we  made  our  way  out  in  the  dark  harbour. 

It  was  a  dull  cloudy  night,  with  not  a  sign  of  a  star, 
and  a  cold,  chill  wind  swept  across  the  water.  So  cold 
was  it  that  before  we  had  gone  far  I  began  to  wish  I  had 
added  an  overcoat  to  my  other  disguises.  We  hardly 
spoke,  but  pulled  slowly  down  towards  the  island  men 
tioned  in  the  letter.  The  excitement  was  intense,  and  I 
grew  quite  nervous  as  I  wondered  whether  the  police 
boat  was  pulling  up  to  meet  us  as  we  had  that  morning 
arranged. 

A  quarter  to  ten  chimed  from  some  church  ashore  as 
we  approached  within  a  hundred  yards  of  our  destina 
tion.  Then  I  rested  on  my  oars  and  waited.  All  round 
us  were  the  lights  of  bigger  boats,  but  no  rowing-boat 
could  I  see.  About  five  minutes  before  the  hour  I  whis 
pered  to  Wetherell  to  make  ready,  and  in  answer  the 
old  gentleman  took  a  matchbox  from  his  pocket.  Ex 
actly  as  the  town  clocks  struck  the  hour  he  lit  a  match ; 


244  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

it  flared  a  little  and  then  blew  out.  As  he  did  so  a  boat 
shot  out  of  the  darkness  to  port.  He  struck  a  second, 
and  then  a  third.  As  the  last  one  burned  up  and  then 
died  out,  the  man  rowing  the  boat  I  have  just  referred 
to  struck  a  light,  then  another,  then  another,  in  rapid 
succession.  Having  done  so,  he  took  up  his  oars  and 
propelled  his  boat  towards  us.  When  he  was  within 
talking  distance  he  said  in  a  gruff  voice  : 

"  Is  Mr.  Wetherell  aboard  ?  " 

To  which  my  companion  answered  immediately,  not 
however  without  a  tremble  in  his  voice,  "  Yes,  here  I 
am!" 

"Money  all  right?" 

^  "  Can  you  see  if  I  hold  it  up?  "  asked  Mr.  Wetherell. 
As  he  did  so  a  long  black  boat  came  into  sight  on  the 
other  side  of  our  questioner  and  pulled  slowly  towards 
him.  I  had  no  doubt  at  all  that  it  was  the  police  boat. 

"  No,  I  don't  want  to  see,"  said  the  voice  again. 
"  But  this  is  the  message  I  was  to  give  you.  Pull  in 
towards  Circular  Quay  and  find  the  Maid  of  tJie  Mist 
barque.  Go  aboard  her  and  take  your  money  down  into 
the  cuddy.  There  you'll  get  your  answer." 

"  Nothing  more  to  say?  "  Mr.  Wetherell  cried. 

"  That's  all  I  was  told,"  answered  the  man,  and  then 
cried,  "  Good-night." 

At  the  same  moment  the  police  boat  pulled  up  along 
side  him  and  made  fast.  I  saw  a  dark  figure  enter  his 
boat,  and  next  moment  the  glare  of  a  lantern  fell  upon 
the  man's  face.  I  picked  up  my  oars  and  pulled  over 
to  them,  getting  there  just  in  time  to  hear  the  inspector 
ask  the  man  his  name. 

"  James  Burbidge,"  was  the  man's  reply.  "  I  don't 
know  as  how  you've  got  anything  against  me.  I'm  a 
licensed  waterman,  I  am." 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  245 

"  Very  likely,"  said  the  inspector ;  "  but  I  want  a 
little  explanation  from  you.  How  do  you  come  to  know 
anything  about  this  business  ?  " 

"  What — about  this  'ere  message,  d'you  mean  ?  " 

"  Yes,  about  this  message.  Where  is  it  from  ?  Who 
gave  it  to  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it,"  growled  the  man. 
"  I  was  up  at  the  Hen  and  Chickens  just  afore  dark 
takin'  a  nobbier  along  with  a  friend.  Presently  in  comes 
a  cove  in  a  cloak.  He  beckons  me  outside  and  says, 
'  Do  you  want  to  earn  a  sufring  ?  '  A  sufring  is  twenty 
bob  ;  so  I  says,  '  My  word  I  do  ! '  Then  he  says,  '  Will 
you  go  out  in  the  harbour  to-night,  and  be  down  agin 
Shark  Point  at  ten  ? '  I  said  I  would  and  so  I  was. 
'  You'll  see  a  boat  there  with  an  old  gent  in  it.  He'll 
strike  three  matches  and  you  do  the  same.  Then  ask 
him  if  he's  Mr.  Wetherell.  If  he  says  "  Yes,"  ask  him  if 
the  money's  all  right  ?  And,  if  he  says  "  Yes  "  to  that, 
tell  him  to  pull  in  towards  Circular  Quay  and  find  the 
Maid  of  the  Mist  barque.  He's  to  take  his  money  down 
to  the  cuddy,  and  he'll  get  his  answer  there.'  There, 
that's  the  truth  so  'elp  me  bob.  I  don't  know  what  you 
wants  to  go  arrestin'  of  an  honest  man  for." 

The  inspector  turned  to  the  water  police. 

"  Does  any  man  here  know  James  Burbidge  ?  " 

Two  or  three  voices  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and 
this  seemed  to  decide  the  officer,  for  he  turned  to  the 
waterman  again  and  said,  "  As  some  of  my  men  seem  to 
know  you  I'll  let  you  go.  But  for  your  own  sake  keep  a 
silent  tongue  in  your  head." 

He  thereupon  got  back  into  his  own  boat  and  bade 
the  man  be  off.  In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  he  was 
out  of  sight.  We  then  drew  up  alongside  the  police 
boat. 


24:6  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  What  had  we  better  do,  Mr.  Inspector?  "  asked  Mr. 
Wetherell. 

"  Find  the  Maid  of  the  Mist  at  once.  She's  an  un- 
tenanted  ship,  being  for  sale.  You  will  go  aboard,  sir, 
with  your  companion  to  the  cudd}r.  Don't  take  your 
money,  however.  We'll  draw  up  alongside  as  soon  as 
you're  below,  and  when  one  of  their  gang,  whom  you'll 
despatch  for  it,  comes  up  to  get  the  coin,  we'll  collar 
him  and  then  come  down  to  your  assistance.  Do  you 
understand  ?  " 

"  Perfectly.     But  how  are  we  to  know  the  vessel  ?  " 

"  Well,  the  better  plan  would  be  for  you  to  follow  us. 
We'll  pull  within  a  hundred  yards  of  her.  I  learn  from 
one  of  my  men  that  she's  painted  white,  so  you'll  have 
no  difficulty  at  all  in  recognising  her." 

"  Very  well,  then ;  we'll  follow  you." 

The  police  boat  accordingly  set  off  and  we  followed 
about  fifty  yards  behind  her.  A  thick  drizzle  was  be 
ginning  to  fall,  and  it  was  by  no  means  an  easy  task  to 
keep  her  in  sight.  For  some  time  we  pulled  on.  Then 
we  began  to  get  closer  to  her.  Presently  we  were  along 
side. 

"  There's  your  craft,"  said  the  inspector,  pointing  as 
he  spoke  to  a  big  vessel  showing  dimly  away  to  starboard 
of  us.  "  Pull  over  to  her." 

I  followed  his  instructions,  and  arriving  at  the  ves 
sel's  side,  hitched  on,  made  the  painter  fast  to  her  after- 
rigging,  and  then,  having  clambered  aboard,  assisted  Mr. 
Wetherell  to  do  the  same.  As  soon  as  we  had  both 
gained  the  deck  we  stood  and  looked  about  us,  at  the 
same  time  listening  for  any  sound  which  might  proclaim 
the  presence  of  the  men  we  had  come  to  meet.  But 
save  the  sighing  of  the  wind  in  the  shrouds  overhead, 
the  dismal  creaking  of  blocks,  and  the  drip  of  moisture 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  247 

on  the  deck,  nothing  was  to  be  heard.  There  was  noth 
ing  for  it,  therefore,  but  to  make  our  way  below  as  best 
we  could.  Fortunately  I  had  had  the  forethought  to 
bring  with  me  a  small  piece  of  candle,  which  came  in 
very  handily  at  the  present  juncture,  seeing  that  the 
cuddy,  when  we  reached  the  companion  ladder,  appeared 
to  be  wrapt  in  total  darkness.  Very  carefully  I  stepped 
inside,  lit  the  candle,  and  then  with  Mr.  Wetherell  at 
my  heels  betook  myself  down  the  steps. 

Arriving  at  the  bottom  we  found  ourselves  in  a  fair- 
sized  saloon  of  the  old-fashioned  type.  Three  cabins 
stood  on  either  side,  while  from  the  companion  ladder, 
by  which  we  had  descended,  to  a  long  cushioned  locker 
right  aft,  under  the  wheel,  ran  a  table  covered  with 
American  cloth.  But  not  a  sign  of  a  man  of  any  kind 
was  to  be  seen.  I  opened  cabin  after  cabin,  and  searched 
each  with  a  like  result.  We  were  evidently  quite  alone 
in  the  ship. 

"What  do  you  make  of  it  all?"  I  asked  of  Mr. 
Wetherell. 

"  It  looks  extremely  suspicious,"  he  answered.  "  But 
perhaps  we're  here  too  early  for  them.  But  see,  Mr. 
Hatteras  ;  there's  something  on  the  table  at  the  farther 
end." 

So  there  Was — something  that  looked  very  much  like 
a  letter.  Together  we  went  round  to  the  end  of  the 
table,  and  there,  surely  enough,  was  a  letter  pinned  to 
the  American  cloth,  and  addressed  to  Mr.  Wetherell  in 
a  bold  and  rather  quaint  handwriting. 

"  It's  for  you,  Mr.  Wetherell,"  I  said,  removing  the 
pins  and  presenting  it  to  him.  Thereupon  we  sat  down 
beside  the  table,  and  my  companion  broke  the  seal  with 
trembling  fingers.  It  was  not  a  very  long  letter,  and 
ran  as  follows  : 


248  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"MY  DEAR  MR.  WETHERELL  :  Bags  of  imitation 
money  and  spurious  bank  notes  will  not  help  you,  nor 
is  it  politic  to  arrange  that  the  water  police  should  meet 
you  at  the  harbour  for  the  purpose  of  arresting  me. 
You  have  lost  your  opportunity,  and  your  daughter  ac 
cordingly  leaves  Australia  to-night.  I  will,  however, 
give  you  one  more  chance — take  care  that  you  avail 
yourself  of  it.  The  sum  I  now  ask  is  £150,000,  with  the 
stick  given  you  by  China  Pete,  and  must  be  paid  with 
out  enquiry  of  any  sort.  If  you  are  agreeable  to  do  this, 
advertise  as  follows,  '  I- Will- Pay- W.,'  in  the  agony  col 
umn  Sydney  Morning  Herald  on  the  18th,  19th,  and 
20th  of  this  present  month.  Further  arrangements  will 
then  be  made  with  you.  THE  MAN  WHO  KNOWS." 

"  Oh,  my  God,  I've  ruined  it  all ! "  cried  Mr.  Weth- 
erell,  as  he  put  the  letter  down  on  the  table.  "  And 
perhaps  killed  my  poor  child." 

Seeing  his  misery,  I  did  my  best  to  comfort  him, 
but  it  was  no  use.  He  seemed  utterly  broken  down  by 
the  failure  of  our  scheme,  and  I  must  own  that  my  own 
heart  was  quite  as  heavy.  One  thing  was  very  evident, 
there  was  a  traitor  in  our  camp.  Someone  had  over 
heard  our  plans  and  carried  them  elsewhere.  Could  it 
be  the  footman  ?  If  so,  he  should  have  it  made  hot  for 
him,  I  could  promise  him  that  most  certainly.  While  I 
was  thinking  over  this,  I  had  heard  a  footstep  on  the 
stairs,  and  a  moment  later  the  inspector  made  his  ap 
pearance.  His  astonishment  at  seeing  us  alone,  reading 
a  letter  by  the  light  of  one  solitary  candle,  evidently 
surprised  him,  for  he  said,  as  he  came  towards  us  and 
sat  down,  "  Why,  what  does  this  mean  ?  Where  are  the 
men  ?  " 

"  There  are  none.     We've  been  nicely  sold,"  I  an- 


FOLLOWING   UP  A  CLUE.  249 

swered,  handing  him  the  letter  to  read.  He  perused  it 
without  further  remark,  and  when  he  had  done  so,  sat 
drumming  with  his  fingers  upon  the  table  in  thought. 

"  We'll  have  to  look  in  your  own  house  for  the  per 
son  who  has  given  us  away,  Mr.  Wetherell ! "  he  said  at 
last.  The  folk  who  are  running  this  affair  are  as  cute 
as  men  are  made  nowadays ;  it's  a  pleasure  to  measure 
swords  with  them." 

"  What  do  you  think  our  next  move  had  better  be  ?  " 

"  Get  home  as  fast  as  we  can.  I'll  return  with  you 
and  we'll  talk  it  over  there.  It's  no  use  our  remaining 
here." 

We  accordingly  went  on  deck,  and  descended  to  our 
boat  again.  This  time  the  inspector  accompanied  us, 
while  the  police  boat  set  off  down  the  harbour  on  other 
business.  When  we  had  seen  them  push  off  and  pull 
out  into  the  darkness,  we  threw  the  imitation  money 
overboard,  set  off  for  the  shore,  landed  where  we  had 
first  embarked,  and  then  walked  up  to  Mr.  Wetherell's 
house.  It  was  considerably  after  twelve  o'clock  by  the 
time  we  reached  it,  but  the  butler  was  still  sitting  up 
for  us.  His  disappointment  seemed  very  keen  when  he 
saw  that  we  had  returned  without  his  young  mistress. 
He  followed  us  up  to  the  study  with  spirits  and  glasses, 
and  then  at  his  master's  instruction  went  off  to  bed. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,"  began  Mr.  Wetherell,  when  the 
door  had  closed  upon  the  servant,  "  let  us  discuss  this 
matter  thoroughly.  But  before  we  begin  let  me  offer 
you  cigars." 

The  inspector  took  one,  but  I  declined,  stating  that 
I  preferred  a  pipe.  But  my  pipe  was  in  my  bedroom, 
which  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  passage,  so  I  asked 
them  to  wait  for  me  while  I  went  to  fetch  it.  They 
promised  to  do  so,  and  I  left  the  room,  shutting  the 


250  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

door  after  me.  But  it  so  happened  that  I  could  not 
find  it  for  a  minute  or  two.  When  I  did  I  blew 
out  my  candle,  and  was  about  to  leave  the  room,  which 
was  exactly  opposite  the  study,  when  I  heard  the  green 
baize  door  at  the  end  of  the  passage  open,  and  a  light 
footstep  come  along  the  corridor.  Instantly  I  stood 
perfectly  still,  and  waited  to  see  who  it  might  be. 
Closer  and  closer  it  came,  till  I  saw  in  the  half  dark 
the  pretty  figure  of  one  of  the  parlour  maids.  On  tip 
toe  she  crept  up  to  the  door,  and  then  stooping  down 
listened  at  the  keyhole.  Instantly  I  was  on  the  alert, 
every  nerve  strained  to  watch  her.  For  nearly  five 
minutes  she  listened,  and  then  with  a  glance  round 
tiptoed  quietly  along  the  passage  again,  closing  the 
baize  door  after  her. 

When  she  was  safely  out  of  hearing  I  crossed  to  the 
study.  Both  the  inspector  and  Mr.  Wetherell  saw 
something  had  happened,  and  were  going  to  question  me. 

"  Don't  say  anything,  but  tell  me  as  quickly  and  as 
nearly  as  you  can  what  you  have  been  talking  about 
during  the  last  five  minutes,"  I  said. 

"  Why  ?  " 

"  Don't  stop  to  ask  me  questions.  Believe  in  the 
importance  of  my  haste.  What  was  it  ?  " 

"  I  have  only  been  giving  Mr.  Wetherell  my  idea  of 
the  steps  I  propose  to  take,"  said  the  inspector. 

"  Thank  you.  Now  I'm  off.  Don't  sit  up  for  me, 
Mr.  Wetherell ;  I'm  going  to  follow  up  a  clue  that  may 
put  us  on  the  scent  at  last.  I  don't  think  you  had 
better  come,  Mr.  Inspector,  but  I'll  meet  you  here  again 
at  six  o'clock." 

"  You  can't  explain,  I  suppose,"  said  the  latter. 

"  I'm  afraid  not,"  I  answered  ;  "  but  I'll  tell  you 
this  much — I  saw  one  of  the  female  servants  listening 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  251 

at  this  door  just  now.  She'll  be  off,  if  I  mistake  not, 
with  the  news,  and  I  want  to  watch  her.  Good-night." 

"  Good-night,  and  good  luck  to  you." 

Without  another  word  I  slipped  off  my  boots,  left 
the  room,  and  went  downstairs  to  the  morning-room. 
This  room  looked  out  over  the  garden  and  possessed  a 
window  shaded  by  a  big  tree.  Opening  the  window,  I 
jumped  out  and  carefully  closed  it  after  me.  Then, 
pausing  for  a  moment  to  resume  my  boots,  I  crept 
quietly  down  the  path,  jumped  a  low  wall,  and  so  passed 
into  the  back  street.  About  fifty  yards  from  the  trades 
men's  entrance,  but  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road,  a 
big  Moreton  Bay  fig  tree  grew  on  the  sidewalk.  Under 
this  I  took  my  stand,  at  the  same  time  keeping  a  watch 
ful  eye  on  the  house.  Fortunately  it  was  a  dark  night, 
so  that  it  would  have  been  extremely  difficult  to  detect 
my  presence.  For  some  minutes  I  waited,  and  was 
beginning  to  wonder  if  I  could  have  been  deceived, 
when  I  heard  the  soft  click  of  a  gate,  and  next  moment 
a  small  dark  figure  passed  out  into  the  street  and  closed 
the  gate  after  it.  Then  pausing  a  moment  as  if  to 
make  up  her  mind,  for  the  mysterious  person  was  a 
woman,  she  set  off  quickly  in  the  direction  of  the  city. 
I  followed  about  a  hundred  yards  behind  her.  With 
the  exception  of  one  policeman,  who  stared  very  hard  at 
me,  we  did  not  meet  a  soul.  Once  or  twice  I  nearly  lost 
her,  and  when  we  reached  the  city  itself  I  began  to  see 
that  it  would  be  well  for  me  to  decrease  the  difference 
that  separated  us.  I  accordingly  did  so,  and  in  this 
fashion  we  passed  up  one  street  and  down  another  until 
we  reached  what  I  cannot  help  thinking  must  have  been 
the  lowest  quarter  of  Sydney.  On  all  hands  were 
Chinese  names  and  signboards,  marine  stores,  slop  shops, 
and  pawnbrokers,  and  in  this  locality  few  of  the  inhabit- 
17 


252  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

ants  seemed  to  know  anything  of  bed.  Groups  of 
sullen-looking  men  and  women  were  to  be  observed  at 
the  corners,  and  on  one  occasion  the  woman  I  was  pur 
suing  was  stopped  by  them.  But  she  evidently  knew 
how  to  take  care  of  herself,  for  she  was  soon  marching 
on  her  way  again. 

At  the  end  of  one  long  and  filthily  dirty  street  she 
paused  and  looked  about  her.  I  had  crossed  the  road 
just  before  this,  and  was  scarcely  ten  yards  behind  her. 
I  had  pulled  my  hat  well  down  to  shade  my  face,  and 
sticking  my  hands  in  my  pockets,  I  staggered  and  reeled 
along,  doing  my  level  best  to  imitate  the  action  of  a 
very  intoxicated  man.  Seeing  only  me  about,  she  went 
to  the  window  of  the  corner  house  and  tapped  with  her 
knuckles  thrice  upon  the  glass.  Before  one  could  have 
counted  twenty  the  door  of  the  dwelling  was  opened, 
and  she  passed  in.  Now  I  was  in  a  nasty  fix — either  I 
must  be  content  to  abandon  my  search,  or  I  must  get 
inside  the  building,  and  trust  to  luck  to  get  the  infor 
mation  I  wanted.  Fortunately,  in  my  present  disguise 
the  girl  would  be  hardly  likely  to  recognise  her  master's 
guest.  So  giving  them  time  to  get  into  a  room,  I  also 
went  up  to  the  door,  and  turned  the  handle.  To  my 
delight  it  was  unlocked.  I  opened  it,  and  entered  the 
house. 

The  passage  was  in  total  darkness ;  but  I  could  make 
out  where  the  door  was  by  a  thin  streak  of  bright  light 
low  down.  As  softly  as  I  possibly  could,  I  crept  up  to 
it,  and  bent  down  to  look  through  the  keyhole.  The 
view  was  necessarily  limited,  but  I  could  just  make  out 
the  girl  I  had  followed  sitting  upon  a  bed ;  and  leaning 
against  the  wall,  a  dirty  clay  pipe  in  her  mouth,  was  the 
vilest  old  woman  I  ever  in  my  life  set  eyes  on.  She  was 
very  small,  with  a  pinched-up  nut-cracker  face,  dressed 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  253 

in  an  old  bit  of  tawdry  finery  that  was,  at  the  lowest 
calculation,  three  sizes  too  large  for  her.  Her  hair  fell 
upon  her  shoulders  in  a  tangled  mass,  and  from  under 
it  her  eyes  gleamed  out  like  those  of  a  wicked  little 
Scotch  terrier  getting  ready  to  bite.  As  I  bent  down  to 
listen  I  heard  her  say, 

"  Well,  my  dear,  and  what  information  have  you  got 
for  the  gentleman,  that  brings  you  down  at  this  time  of 
night?" 

"  Only  that  the  coppers  are  going  to  start  at  daylight 
looking  for  the  Merry  Duchess.  I  heard  the  inspector 
say  so  himself." 

"  At  daylight,  are  they  ?  "  croaked  the  elder  woman. 
"  Well  I  wish  'em  joy  of  their  search,  I  do — them — them ! 
Any  more  news,  my  dear  ?  " 

"  The  master  and  that  long-legged  slab  of  a  Hatteras 
went  out  to-night  down  the  harbour.  The  old  man 
brought  home  a  lot  of  money  bags,  but  what  was  in 
'em  was  only  dummies." 

"  I  know  that,  too,  my  dear.  Nicely  they  was  sold. 
Ha !  ha ! " 

She  chuckled  like  an  old  fiend,  and  then  began  to 
cut  up  another  pipe  of  tobacco  in  the  palm  of  her  hand 
like  a  man.  She  smoked  negro  head,  and  the  reek  of  it 
came  out  through  the  keyhole  to  me.  But  the  younger 
girl  was  evidently  impatient,  for  she  rose  and  said : 

"  When  do  they  sail  with  the  girl,  Sally  ?  " 

"  They're  gone,  my  dear.  They  went  at  ten  to 
night." 

At  this  piece  of  news  my  heart  began  to  throb  pain 
fully,  so  much  so  that  I  could  hardly  listen  for  its 
beating. 

"  They  weren't  long  about  it,"  said  the  younger  girl, 
critically. 


254:  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  That  Nikola's  not  long  about  anything,"  remarked 
the  old  woman. 

"  I  hope  Pipa  Lannu  will  agree  with  her  health — the 
stuck-up  minx — I  do  ! "  the  younger  remarked  spitefully. 
"  Now  where's  the  money  he  said  I  was  to  have.  Let 
me  have  it  and  be  off.  I  shall  get  the  sack  if  this  is 
found  out." 

"  It  was  five  pound  I  was  to  give  yer,  wasn't  it  ?  "  the 
elder  one  said,  pushing  her  hand  deep  down  into  her 
pocket. 

"  Ten,"  said  the  younger,  sharply.  "  No  larks,  Sally. 
I  know  too  much  for  you  ! " 

"  Oh,  you  know  a  lot,  honey,  don't  you  ?  Of  course 
you'd  be  expected  to  know  a  sight  more  than  old  Aunt 
Sally  whose  never  seen  anything  at  all,  wouldn't  you  ? 
Go  along  with  you !  " 

"  Hand  me  over  the  money  I  say,  and  let  me  be 
gone." 

"  Of  course  you  do  know  a  lot  more,  don't  you  ? 
There's  a  pound ! " 

While  they  were  wrangling  over  the  money  I  crept 
down  the  passage  again  to  the  front  door.  Once  there  I 
opened  it  softly  and  went  out,  closing  it  carefully  behind 
me.  Then  I  took  to  my  heels  and  ran  down  the  street 
the  way  I  had  come  as  fast  as  I  could  go.  Enquiring 
my  way  here  and  there  from  policemen,  I  eventually 
reached  home,  scaled  the  wall,  and  went  across  the  gar 
den  to  the  morning-room  window.  This  I  opened,  and 
by  means  of  it  made  my  way  into  the  house  and  up 
stairs.  As  I  had  expected  he  would  have  gone  to  bed,  I 
was  considerably  surprised  at  meeting  Mr.  Wetherell  on 
the  landing. 

"  Well,  what  have  you  discovered  ?  "  he  asked  anx 
iously  as  I  came  up  to  him. 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  255 

"Information  of  the  greatest  importance,"  I  an 
swered  ;  "  but  one  other  thing  first.  Call  up  your  house 
keeper,  tell  her  you  have  reason  to  believe  that  one  of 
the  housemaids  is  not  in  the  house.  Tell  her  not  to 
mention  you  in  the  matter,  but  to  discharge  her  before 
breakfast.  By  the  time  you've  done  that  I'll  have 
changed  my  things  and  be  ready  to  tell  you  every 
thing." 

"  I'll  go  and  rouse  her  at  once ;  I'm  all  impatience 
to  know  what  you  have  discovered." 

He  left  me  and  passed  through  the  green  baize  door 
to  the  servants'  portion  of  the  house ;  I  myself  went  to 
my  bedroom  and  changed  my  things.  This  done  I 
passed  into  the  study,  where  I  found  a  meal  laid  for  me. 
To  this  I  did  ample  justice,  for  my  long  walk  and  the 
excitement  of  the  evening  had  given  me  an  unusual 
appetite. 

Just  as  I  was  helping  myself  to  a  second  glass  of 
grog  Mr.  \Vetherell  returned,  and  informed  me  that  the 
housekeeper  was  on  the  alert,  and  would  receive  the  girl 
on  her  reappearance. 

"  Now  tell  me  of  your  doings,"  said  the  old  gentle 
man. 

I  thereupon  narrated  all  that  had  occurred  since  I 
left  the  study  in  search  of  my  pipe — how  I  had  seen  the 
girl  listening  at  the  door,  how  I  had  followed  her  into 
the  town ;  gave  him  a  description  of  old  Sally,  their  in 
terview,  and  my  subsequent  return  home.  He  listened 
eagerly,  and,  when  I  had  finished,  said : 

"  Do  you  believe  then  that  my  poor  girl  has  been 
carried  off  by  Nikola  to  this  island  called  Pipa  Lamm?" 

"  I  do ;  there  seems  to  be  no  doubt  at  all  about  it." 

"  Well,  then,  what  are  we  to  do  to  rescue  her  ? 
Shall  I  ask  the  Government  to  send  a  gunboat  down?" 


256  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  If  you  like ;  but,  for  my  own  part,  I  think  I  should 
act  independently  of  them.  You  don't  want  to  make  a 
big  scandal,  I  presume ;  and  remember,  to  arrest  Nikola 
would  be  to  open  the  whole  affair." 

"  Then  what  do  you  propose  ?  " 

"  I  propose,"  I  answered,  "  that  we  should  charter  a 
small  schooner,  fit  her  out,  select  three  trustworthy  and 
silent  men,  and  then  take  our  departure  to  Pipa  Lannu. 
I  am  well  acquainted  with  the  island,  and,  what's  more, 
I  hold  a  master's  certificate.  We  would  sail  in  after 
dark,  arm  all  our  party  thoroughly,  and  go  ashore.  I 
expect  they  will  be  keeping  your  daughter  a  prisoner  in 
a  hut.  If  that  is  so  we  will  surround  it  and  rescue  her 
without  any  trouble  or  fuss,  and,  what  is  better  still, 
without  any  public  scandal.  What  do  you  say?" 

"  I  quite  agree  with  what  you  say.  I  think  it's  an 
excellent  idea ;  and,  while  you've  been  speaking,  I  too 
have  been  thinking  of  something.  There's  my  old 
friend  McMurtough,  who  has  a  nice  schooner  yacht. 
I'm  sure  he'd  be  willing  to  let  us  have  the  use  of  her  for 
a  few  weeks." 

"  Where  does  he  live  ? — far  from  here  ?  " 

"  Just  across  the  water ;  we'll  go  over  and  see  him 
directly  after  breakfast  if  you  like." 

"  By  all  means.  Now  I  think  I'll  go  and  take  a  lit 
tle  nap ;  I  feel  quite  worn  out.  When  the  inspector 
arrives  you  will  be  able  to  explain  all  that  has  happened  ; 
but  I  think  I  should  ask  him  to  keep  a  quiet  tongue  in 
his  head  about  the  island.  If  it  leaks  out  at  all  it  may 
warn  them,  and  they'll  be  off  elsewhere — to  a  place  per 
haps  where  we  may  not  be  able  to  find  them." 

"  I'll  remember,"  said  Mr.  Wetherell,  and  thereupon 
I  retired  to  my  room,  and,  having  partially  undressed, 
threw  myself  upon  my  bed.  In  less  than  two  minutes  I 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  257 

was  fast  asleep,  not  to  wake  until  the  first  gong  sounded 
for  breakfast ;  then,  after  a  good  bath,  which  refreshed 
me  wonderfully,  I  dressed  in  my  usual  habiliments  and 
went  downstairs.  Mr.  Wetherell  and  the  Marquis  were 
in  the  dining-room,  and  when  I  entered  both  he  and 
the  Marquis,  who  held  a  copy  of  the  Sydney  Morning 
Herald  in  his  hand,  seemed  prodigiously  excited. 

"  I  say,  Mr.  Hatteras,"  said  the  latter  (after  I  had 
said  'Good-morning'),  "here's  an  advertisement  in 
tended  for  you ! " 

"  What  about?"  I  asked.  "  Who  wants  to  advertise 
forme?" 

"Bead  for  yourself,"  said  the  Marquis,  giving  me 
the  paper. 

I  took  it,  and  glanced  down  the  column  to  which  he 
referred  me  until  I  came  to  the  following : 

"  Richard  Hatteras. — If  this  should  meet  the  eye  of 
Mr.  Richard  Hatteras,  of  Thursday  Island,  Torres  Straits, 
lately  returned  from  England  and  believed  to  be  now  in 
Sydney,  he  is  earnestly  requested  to  call  at  the  office  of 
Messrs.  Dawson  and  Gladman,  solicitors,  Castlereagh 
Street,  where  he  will  hear  of  something  to  his  advan 
tage." 

There  could  be  no  doubt  at  all  that  I  was  the  person 
referred  to;  but  what  could  it  all  mean?  What  was 
there  that  I  could  possibly  hear  to  my  advantage,  save 
news  of  Phyllis,  and  it  would  be  most  unlikely  that  I 
would  learn  anything  about  the  movements  of  the  ras 
cally  gang  who  had  abducted  her,  from  a  firm  of  first- 
class  solicitors  such  as,  I  understood  from  Mr.  Wetherell, 
Messrs.  Dawson  and  Gladmau  might  be  considered. 
However,  it  was  .no  use  wondering  about  it,  so  I  dis 
missed  the  matter  from  my  mind  for  the  present  and 
took  my  place  at  the  table.  In  the  middle  of  the  meal 


258  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

the  butler  left  the  room  for  a  moment  in  response  to  a 
ring  at  the  front  door.  When  he  returned,  it  was  to  in 
form  me  that  a  man  was  in  the  hall,  and  wished  to  have 
a  few  moments'  conversation  with  me.  Asking  Mr. 
Wetherell  to  excuse  me,  I  left  the  room. 

In  the  hall  I  found  a  seedy-looking  individual  of 
middle  age.  He  bowed,  and  on  learning  that  I  was  Mr. 
Hatteras,  asked  if  he  might  have  five  minutes'  private 
conversation  with  me.  In  response,  I  led  him  to  the 
morning-room  and,  having  closed  the  door  carefully, 
pointed  to  a  seat. 

"  What  is  your  business  with  me?  "  I  enquired,  when 
he  had  sat  down. 

"  It  is  rather  a  curious  business  to  approach,  Mr. 
Hatteras,"  the  man  began.  "  But  to  commence,  may  I 
be  permitted  to  suggest  that  you  are  uneasy  in  your 
mind  about  a  person  who  has  disappeared  ?  " 

"  You  may  certainly  suggest  that,  if  you  like,"  I 
answered. 

"  If  it  were  in  a  person's  power  to  furnish  a  clue  re 
garding  that  person's  whereabouts,  it  might  be  useful  to 
you  I  expect,"  he  continued,  craftily  watching  me  out 
of  the  corners  of  his  eyes. 

"  Very  useful  to  us,"  I  replied.  "  Are  you  in  a  posi 
tion  to  do  so  ?  " 

"  I  might  possibly  be  able  to  afford  you  some  slight 
assistance,"  he  went  on.  "  That  is,  of  course,  provided 
it  were  made  worth  my  while." 

"  What  do  you  call  '  worth  your  while '  ?  " 

"  Well,  shall  we  say  five  hundred  pounds.  That's  not 
a  large  sum  for  really  trustworthy  information.  I  ought 
to  ask  a  thousand,  considering  the  danger  I'm  running 
in  mixing  myself  up  with  the  affair.  Only  I'm  a  father 
myself,  and  that's  why  I  do  it." 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  259 

"  I  see.  "Well,  let  me  tell  you,  I  consider  five  hundred 
too  much." 

"  "Well,  then  I'm  afraid  we  can't  trade.     I'm  sorry." 

"So  am  I.  But  I'm  not  going  to  buy  a  pig  in  a 
poke." 

"  Shall  we  say  four  hundred,  then?" 

"  No.  Nor  three — two,  or  one.  If  your  information 
is  worth  anything,  I  don't  mind  giving  you  fifty  pounds 
for  it.  But  I  won't  give  a  halfpenny  more." 

As  I  spoke,  I  rose  as  if  to  terminate  the  interview. 
Instantly  my  visitor  assumed  a  different  tone. 

"  My  fault  is  my  generosity,"  he  said.  "  It's  the  ruin 
of  me.  Well,  you  shall  have  it  for  fifty.  Give  me  the 
money,  and  I'll  tell  you." 

"  Not  at  all,"  I  answered.  "  I  must  hear  the  infor 
mation  first.  Trust  to  my  honour.  If  what  you  tell 
me  is  worth  anything,  I'll  give  you  fifty  pounds  for  it. 
Now  what  is  it?" 

"  Well,  sir,  to  begin  with,  you  must  understand  that 
I  was  standing  at  the  corner  of  Pitt  Street  an  evening 
or  two  back,  when  two  men  passed  me  talking  earnestly 
together.  One  of  'em  was  a  tall  strapping  fellow,  the 
other  a  little  chap.  I  never  saw  two  eviller  looking  ras 
cals  in  my  life.  Just  as  they  came  alongside  me,  one 
says  to  the  other,  '  Don't  be  afraid,  I'll  have  the  girl  at 
the  station  all  right  at  eight  o'clock  sharp.'  The  other 
said  something  that  I  could  not  hear,  and  then  I  lost 
sight  of  them.  But  what  I  had  heard  stuck  in  my  head, 
and  so  I  accordingly  went  off  to  the  station,  arriving 
there  a  little  before  the  hour.  I  hadn't  been  there  long 
before  the  smallest  of  the  two  chaps  I'd  seen  came  on  to 
the  platform,  and  began  looking  about  him.  By  the 
face  of  him  he  didn't  seem  at  all  pleased  at  not  finding 
the  other  man  waiting  for  him.  A  train  drew  up  at  the 


260  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

platform,  and  presently,  just  afore  it  started,  I  saw  the 
other  cove  and  a  young  lady  wearing  a  heavy  veil  come 
quickly  along.  The  first  man  saw  them,  and  gave  a  lit 
tle  cry  of  delight.  '  I  thought  you'd  be  too  late,'  says 
he.  'No  fear  of  that,'  says  the  other,  and  jumps  into  a 
first-class  carriage,  telling  the  girl  to  get  in  after  him, 
which  she  does,  crying  the  while  as  I  could  see.  Then 
the  chap  on  the  platform  says  to  the  other  who  was 
leaning  out  of  the  window, '  Write  to  me  from  Bourke, 
and  tell  me  how  she  gets  on.'  'You  bet,'  says  his 
friend.  'And  don't  you  forget  to  keep  your  eye  on 
Hatteras.'  '  Don't  you  be  afraid,'  answered  the  man  on 
the  platform.  Then  the  guard  whistled,  and  the  train 
went  out  of  the  station.  Directly  I  was  able  to  I  got 
away,  and  first  thing  this  morning  came  on  here. 
Now  you  know  my  information,  I'll  trouble  you  for  that 
fifty  pound." 

"Not  so  fast,  my  friend.  Your  story  seems  very 
good,  but  I  want  to  ask  a  few  questions  first.  Had  the 
bigger  man — the  man  who  went  up  to  Bourke,  a  big  cut 
over  his  left  eye  ?  " 

"  Now  I  come  to  think  of  it,  he  had.  I'd  forgotten 
to  tell  you  that." 

"  So  it  was  him,  then  ?  But  are  you  certain  it  was 
Miss  Wetherell?  Kemember  she  wore  a  veil.  Could 
you  see  whether  her  hair  was  black  or  brown  ?  " 

"  Very  dark  it  was ;  but  I  couldn't  see  rightly  which 
colour  it  was." 

"  You're  sure  it  was  a  dark  colour  ?  " 

"  Quite  sure.  I  could  swear  to  it  in  a  court  of  law  if 
you  wanted  me  to." 

"  That's  all  right  then.  Because  it  shows  me  your 
story  is  a  fabrication.  Come,  get  out  of  this  house  or 
I'll  throw  you  out.  You  scoundrel,  for  two  pins  I'd 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  261 

give  you  such  a  thrashing  as  you'd  remember  all  your 
life." 

"None  o'  that,  governor.  Don't  you  try  it  on. 
Hand  us  over  that  fifty  quid." 

With  that  the  scoundrel  whipped  out  a  revolver  and 
pointed  it  at  me.  But  before  he  could  threaten  again 
I'd  got  hold  of  his  wrist  with  one  hand,  snatched  the 
pistol  with  the  other,  and  sent  him  sprawling  on  his 
back  upon  the  carpet. 

"  Now,  you  brute,"  I  cried,  "  what  am  I  going  to  do 
with  you  do  you  think  ?  Get  up  and  clear  out  of  the 
house  before  I  take  my  boot  to  you." 

He  got  up  and  began  to  brush  his  clothes. 

"  I  want  my  fifty  pound,"  he  cried. 

"  You'll  get  more  than  you  want  if  you  come  here 
again,"  I  said.  "  Out  you  go." 

With  that  I  got  him  by  the  collar  and  dragged  him 
out  of  the  room  across  the  hall,  much  to  the  butler's 
astonishment,  through  the  front  door,  and  then  kicked 
him  down  the  steps.  He  fell  in  a  heap  on  the  gravel. 

"  All  right,  my  fine  bloke,"  he  said  as  he  lay  there ; 
"  you  wait  till  I  get  you  outside.  I'll  fix  you  up,  and 
don't  you  make  no  mistake." 

But  I  went  back  to  the  dining-room  without  paying 
any  attention  to  his  threats.  Both  Mr.  Wetherell  and 
Beckenham  had  been  witnesses  of  what  had  happened, 
and  now  they  questioned  me  about  it.  I  gave  them  an 
outline  of  the  story  the  man  had  told  me  and  convinced 
them  of  its  absurdity.  Mr.  Wetherell  then  rose  to  his  feet. 

"  Now  shall  we  go  and  see  McMurtough?  " 

"  Certainly,"  I  said ;  "  I'll  be  ready  as  soon  as  you 
are." 

"  You  will  come  with  us,  I  hope,  Lord  Becken 
ham  ? "  said  Wetherell. 


262  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  With  every  pleasure,"  answered  his  lordship,  and 
thereupon  we  went  off  to  get  ready. 

Three-quarters  of  an  hour  later  we  were  sitting  in 
Mr.  McMurtough's  waiting-room,  waiting  for  an  inter 
view.  At  the  end  of  ten  minutes  a  commissionaire 
came  in  to  inform  us  that  Mr.  McMurtongh  was  disen 
gaged,  and  forthwith  conducted  us  to  his  room.  We 
found  him  a  small,  gray-haired,  pleasant-looking  gentle 
man,  full  of  life  and  fun.  He  received  Mr.  Wetherell 
as  an  old  friend,  and  then  waited  to  be  introduced  to  us. 

"  Let  me  make  you  acquainted  with  my  friends, 
McMurtough,"  said  Wetherell — "  The  Marquis  of  Beck- 
enham  and  Mr.  Hatteras." 

He  bowed  and  then  shook  hands  with  us,  after 
which  we  sat  down  and  Wetherell  proceeded  to  busi 
ness.  The  upshot  of  it  all  was  that  he  immediately 
fell  in  with  our  plans  and  expressed  himself  as  de 
lighted  to  lend  his  yacht  in  such  a  good  cause. 

"  I  wish  I  were  able  to  come  with  you,"  he  said ; 
"  but  unfortunately  that  is  quite  impossible.  However, 
you  are  more  than  welcome  to  my  boat.  I  will  send 
down  to  the  harbour  at  once  and  give  orders  that  she  is 
to  be  prepared  for  sea  to-day.  Will  you  see  about  pro 
visioning  her,  or  shall  I  ?  " 

"  We  will  see  to  all  that,"  said  Wetherell.  "  All  the 
expenses  must  of  course  be  mine." 

"As  you  please  about  that,  my  old  friend,"  re 
turned  McMurtough. 

"  Where  is  the  craft  lying  ?  "  asked  Wetherell. 

The  owner  gave  us  the  direction,  and  having  sin 
cerely  thanked  him,  we  set  off  to  find  her.  She  was 
a  nice  craft  of  about  a  hundred  tons  burthen,  and 
looked  as  if  she  ought  to  be  a  good  sea  boat.  Charter 
ing  a  wherry  we  were  pulled  off  to  her.  The  captain 


FOLLOWING   UP  A  CLUE.  263 

was  below  when  we  arrived,  but  a  hail  brought  him  on 
deck.  Mr.  Wetherell  then  explained  our  errand,  and 
gave  him  his  owner's  letter.  He  read  it  through,  and 
then  said : 

"  I  am  at  your  service,  gentlemen.  From  what  Mr. 
McMurtough  says  I  gather  there  is  no  time  to  lose,  so 
with  your  permission  I'll  get  to  work  at  once." 

"  Order  all  the  coal  you  want,  and  tell  the  steward 
to  do  the  same  for  anything  he  may  want  in  his  de 
partment.  The  bills  must  be  sent  in  to  me." 

"Very  good,  Mr.  Wetherell.  And  what  time  will 
you  be  ready  ?  " 

"  As  soon  as  you  are.  Can  you  get  away  by  three 
o'clock  this  afternoon,  think  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  it  will  be  a  bit  of  a  scramble,  but  I  think  we 
can  manage  it.  Anyhow  I'll  do  my  best,  you  may  be 
sure  of  that,  sir." 

"I'm  sure  you  will.  There  is  grave  need  for  it. 
Now  we'll  go  and  arrange  a  few  matters  ashore.  My 
man  shall  bring  our  baggage  down  later  on." 

"  Very  good,  sir.     I'll  have  your  berths  prepared." 

With  that  we  descended  to  the  boat  again,  and  we 
pulled  ashore.  Arriving  there,  Mr.  Wetherell  asked 
what  we  should  do  next. 

"  Hadn't  we  better  go  up  to  the  town  and  purchase 
a  few  rifles  and  ammunition  ?  We  can  have  them  sent 
down  direct  to  the  boat,  and  so  save  time." 

"  A  very  good  suggestion.     Let  us  go  at  once." 

So  saying,  we  set  off  for  George  Street — to  a  shop  I 
had  remembered  seeing.  There  we  purchased  half  a 
dozen  Winchester  repeaters,  with  a  good  supply  of  am 
munition.  These  we  ordered  to  be  sent  down  to  the 
yacht  without  fail  that  morning.  That  done,  we  stood 
on  the  pavement  debating  what  we  should  do  next. 


264  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Finally  it  was  decided  that  Mr.  Wetherell  and  Becken- 
ham  should  go  home  to  pack,  while  I  made  one  or  two 
other  small  purchases,  and  then  joined  them.  Accord 
ingly  bidding  them  good-bye,  I  went  on  down  the  street, 
did  my  business,  and  was  about  to  hail  a  cab  and  follow 
them,  when  a  thought  struck  me :  Why  should  I  not 
visit  Messrs.  Dawson  &  Gladman,  and  find  out  why 
they  were  advertising  for  me  ?  This  I  determined  to 
do,  and  accordingly  set  off  for  Castlereagh  Street.  Be 
fore  very  long  I  had  discovered  their  office,  and  went 
inside. 

In  a  small  room  leading  off  the  main  passage,  three 
clerks  were  seated.  To  them  I  addressed  myself,  ask 
ing  if  I  might  see  the  partners. 

"  Mr.  Dawson  is  the  only  one  in,  sir,"  said  the  boy 
to  whom  I  spoke.  "  If  you'll  give  me  your  name  I'll 
take  it  in  to  him." 

"  My  name  is  Hatteras,"  I  said,  "  Mr.  Richard  Hat- 
teras." 

"  Indeed,  sir,"  answered  the  boy.  "  If  you'll  wait 
Mr.  Dawson  will  see  you  in  a  minute  I'm  sure." 

On  hearing  my  name  the  other  clerks  had  begun 
whispering  together,  at  the  same  time  throwing  furtive 
glances  in  my  direction. 

In  considerably  less  than  two  minutes  the  clerk  re 
turned,  and  begged  me  to  follow  him,  which  I  did.  At 
the  end  of  a  long  passage  we  passed  through  a  curtained 
doorway,  and  I  stood  in  the  presence  of  the  chief  part 
ner,  Mr.  Dawson.  He  was  a  short,  podgy  man,  with 
white  whiskers  and  a  bald  head,  and  painfully  pre 
cise. 

"  I  have  great  pleasure  in  making  your  acquaintance, 
Mr.  Hatteras,"  he  said.  "  You  have  noticed  our  adver 
tisement,  I  presume  ?  " 


FOLLOWING  UP  A  CLUE.  265 

"  I  saw  it  this  morning,"  I  answered.  "  And  it  is 
on  that  account  that  I  am  here." 

"  One  moment  before  we  go  any  further.  Forgive 
what  I  am  going  to  say — but  you  will  see  yourself  that 
it  is  a  point  I  am  compelled  not  to  neglect.  Can  you 
convince  me  as  to  your  identity  ?  " 

"  Very  easily,"  I  replied,  diving  my  hand  into  my 
breast-pocket  and  taking  out  some  papers.  "  First  and 
foremost,  here  is  my  cheque-book.  Here  is  my  card- 
case.  And  here  are  two  or  three  letters  addressed  to 
me  by  London  and  Sydney  firms.  The  Hon.  Mr. 
Wetherell,  Colonial  Secretary,  will  be  glad  I'm  sure  to 
give  you  any  information.  Is  that  sufficient  evidence 
to  convince  you  ?  " 

"  More  than  sufficient,"  he  answered,  smiling. 
"  Now,  let  me  tell  you  for  what  purpose  we  desired  you 
to  call  upon  us."  He  opened  a  drawer  and  took  out  a 
letter. 

"  First  and  foremost,  let  me  tell  you  that  we  are  the 
Sydney  agents  of  Messrs.  Atwin,  Dobbs  and  Forsyth  of 
Furnival's  Inn,  London.  From  them,  by  the  last  Eng 
lish  mail,  we  received  this  letter.  From  it  I  gather 
that  you  are  the  son  of  James  Dymoke  Hatteras  who 
was  drowned  at  sea — is  that  so  ?  " 

"lam." 

"  Your  father  then  was  the  third  son  of  Sir  Edward 
Hatteras  of  Murdlestone,  in  the  county  of  Hampshire  ?  " 

"  He  was." 

"And  the  brother  of  Sir  William,  who  had  one 
daughter,  Gwendoline  Mary  ?  " 

"  That  is  so  !  " 

"  Well,  Mr.  Hatteras,  it  is  my  sad  duty  to  inform 
you  that  your  cousin,  the  lady  just  referred  to,  was 
drowned  by  accident  in  a  pond  near  her  home,  and  that 


266  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

her  father  died  of  heart  disease  on  hearing  the  sad  ti 
dings.  In  that  case,  my  correspondents  inform  me  that 
you  succeed  to  the  title  and  estates — which  I  am  also 
told  are  of  considerable  value,  including  the  house  and 
park,  ten  farms,  and  a  large  amount  of  town  property, 
a  rent  roll  of  fifteen  thousand  a  year,  and  accumulated 
capital  of  nearly  a  hundred  thousand  pounds." 

"  Good  gracious  !    Is  this  really  true  ?  " 

"  Quite  true.  You  can  examine  the  letter  for  your 
self." 

I  took  it  up  and  read  it  through,  hardly  able  to 
believe  my  eyes. 

"  You  are  indeed  a  man  to  be  envied,  Mr.  Hatteras," 
said  the  lawyer.  "  The  title  is  an  old  one,  and  I  believe 
the  property  is  considered  one  of  the  best  in  that  part 
of  England." 

"  It  is  !     But  I  can  hardly  believe  that  it  is  mine." 

"  There  is  no  doubt  about  that  however.  You  are  a 
baronet  as  sure  as  I  am  a  lawyer.  I  presume  you  would 
like  us  to  take  all  necessary  action  in  the  matter." 

"  By  all  means.  I  am  leaving  Sydney  for  a  week  or 
two  this  afternoon,  for  the  Islands.  I  will  sign  any 
necessary  papers  when  I  come  back." 

"  I  will  bear  that  in  mind.  And  your  address  in 
Sydney  is " 

"Care  of  The  Honourable  Mr.  Wetherell,  Potts 
Point." 

"  Thank  you.  And,  by  the  way,  my  correspondents 
desire  me  to  pay  in  to  your  account  at  the  bank  on  their 
behalf  the  sum  of  five  thousand  pounds.  This  I  will  do 
to-day." 

"  I  am  obliged  to  you.  Now  I  think  I  must  be 
going.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  hardly  know  whether  I  am 
standing  on  my  head  or  my  heels." 


FOLLOWING   UP  A  CLUE.  267 

"  Oh,  you  will  soon  get  over  that" 

"  Good-morning." 

"  Good-morning,  Sir  Richard." 

With  that,  I  bade  him  farewell,  and  went  out  of  the 
office,  half  stunned  by  my  good  fortune.  I  thought  of 
the  poor  girl  whose  end  had  been  so  tragic,  and  of  the 
old  man  as  I  had  last  seen  him,  shaking  his  fist  at  me 
out  of  the  window.  And  to  think  that  that  lovely  old 
home  was  mine,  and  that  I  was  a  baronet,  the  represen 
tative  of  a  race  as  old  as  any  in  the  country  side !  It 
seemed  too  wonderful  to  be  true ! 

Hearty  were  the  congratulations  showered  upon  me 
at  Potts  Point,  you  may  be  sure,  when  I  told  my  tale, 
and  my  health  was  drunk  at  lunch  with  much  acclaim. 
But  our  minds  were  too  much  taken  up  with  the  ar 
rangements  for  our  departure  that  afternoon  to  allow  us 
to  think  very  much  of  anything  else.  By  two  o'clock 
we  were  ready  to  leave  the  house,  by  half-past  we  were 
on  board  the  yacht,  at  three-fifteen  the  anchor  was  up, 
and  we  were  ploughing  our  way  down  the  harbour. 

Our  search  for  Phyllis  had  reached  another  stage. 


18 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   ISLANDS   AND   WHAT   WE   FOUND   THERE. 

To  those  who  have  had  no  experience  of  the  South 
Pacific  the  constantly  recurring  beauties  of  our  voyage 
would  have  seemed  like  a  foretaste  of  Heaven  itself. 
From  Sydney,  until  the  Loyalty  Group  lay  behind  us,  we 
had  one  long  spell  of  exquisite  weather.  By  night, 
under  the  winking  stars,  and  by  day,  in  the  sweet  sun 
light,  our  smart  little  craft  ploughed  her  way  across 
smooth  seas,  and  our  only  occupation  was  to  promenade 
or  loaf  about  the  decks  and  to  speculate  as  to  the  result 
of  the  expedition  upon  which  we  had  embarked. 

Having  sighted  the  Isle  of  Pines,  we  turned  our 
bows  almost  due  north,  and  headed  for  the  New 
Hebrides.  Every  hour  now  our  impatience  was  grow 
ing  greater.  In  less  than  two  days  we  ought  to  be  at 
our  destination,  and  twenty-four  hours  later  to  have 
Phyllis  in  our  possession  again.  And  what  happiness 
this  would  mean  to  me  I  can  only  leave  you  to  guess. 

One  morning,  just  as  the  faint  outline  of  the  coast 
of  Aneityum  was  peering  up  over  the  horizon  ahead, 
Wetherell  and  I  chanced  to  be  sitting  in  the  bows.  The 
sea  was  as  smooth  as  glass,  and  the  tinkling  of  the  water 
round  the  little  vessel's  nose,  as  she  turned  it  off  in 
snowy  lines,  was  the  only  sound  to  be  heard.  As  usual, 
the  conversation,  after  wandering  off  into  other  topics, 

268 


THE  ISLANDS  AND  WHAT  WE  FOUND  THERE.  269 

came  back  to  the  subject  nearest  our  hearts.  This  led 
us  to  make  a  few  remarks  anent  Nikola  and  his  charac 
ter.  One  thing  I  had  always  noticed,  when  the  man 
came  under  discussion,  and  that  was  the  dread  Wether- 
ell  had  of  him.  My  curiosity  had  been  excited  as  to  its 
meaning,  and  I  could  not  help  asking  him  for  an 
explanation. 

"  You  want  to  know  how  it  is  that  I  am  so  fright 
ened  of  Nikola  ? "  he  asked,  knocking  the  ash  off  his 
cigar  on  the  upturned  fluke  of  the  anchor  alongside 
him.  "  Well,  to  give  you  my  reason  will  necessitate  my 
telling  you  a  story.  I  don't  mind  doing  that  at  all,  but 
what  I  am  afraid  of  is  that  you  may  be  inclined  to  doubt 
its  probability.  It  is  certainly  more  like  the  plot  of  a 
Wilkie  Collins  novel  than  a  bit  of  sober  reality.  How 
ever,  if  you  want  to  hear  it  you  shall." 

"  I  should  like  to,  above  all  things,"  I  replied,  mak 
ing  myself  comfortable  and  taking  another  cigar  from 
my  pocket.  "  I  have  been  longing  to  ask  you  about  it 
for  some  time  past,  but  could  not  quite  screw  up  my 
courage." 

"  Well,  in  the  first  place,"  Mr.  Wetherell  said,  "  you 
must  understand  that  before  I  became  a  minister  of  the 
Crown,  or  indeed  a  member  of  Parliament  at  all,  I  was 
a  barrister  with  a  fairly  remunerative  practice.  That 
was  before  my  wife's  death,  and  when  Phyllis  was  only 
a  little  girl.  Up  to  the  time  I  am  going  to  tell  you 
about  I  had  taken  part  in  no  very  sensational  case,  nor 
had  I  ever  had  a  chance  of  making  a  good  haul  by  one. 
But  my  opportunity  of  earning  notoriety  was,  though  I 
did  not  know  it,  near  at  hand.  One  day  I  was  briefed 
to  defend  a  man  accused  of  the  murder  of  a  Chinaman 
aboard  a  Sydney  vessel.  At  first  there  seemed  to  be  no 
doubt  at  all  as  to  his  guilt,  but  by  a  singular  chance, 


270  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

with  the  details  of  which  I  will  not  bore  you,  I  hit  upon 
a  scheme  which  not  only  got  him  off,  but  which  was 
destined  to  be  my  real  stepping-stone  to  Fortune.  I 
remember  the  man  perfectly,  and  a  queer  fellow  he  was, 
half-witted  I  thought,  and  at  the  time  of  the  trial 
within  an  ace  of  dying  of  consumption.  His  gratitude 
to  me  was  the  more  pathetic  because  he  had  not  the 
wherewithal  to  pay  me.  However,  he  made  it  up  to  me 
in  another  way,  and  that's  where  my  real  story  com 
mences. 

"  One  wet  night  a  couple  of  months  or  so  after  the 
trial  I  was  sitting  in  my  drawing-room,  listening  to  my 
wife's  music,  when  a  servant  entered  to  tell  me  that  a 
woman  wanted  to  see  me.  I  went  out  into  the  passage 
to  find  waiting  there  a  tall  buxom  lass  of  about  five-and- 
twenty  years  of  age.  She  was  poorly  dressed,  but  in  a 
great  state  of  excitement. 

" '  Are  you  Mr.  Wetherell  ? '  said  she.  '  The  gentle 
man  as  defended  China  Pete  in  the  trial  the  other 
day?' 

"  '  I  am,'  I  answered  ;  '  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?  I 
hope  China  Pete  is  not  in  trouble  again.' 

" '  He's  in  a  worse  trouble  this  time,  sir,'  said  the 
woman.  '  He's  dyin',  and  he  sent  me  to  fetch  you  to 
'im  at  once  before  he  goes.' 

"  '  But  what  does  he  want  me  for?  '  I  asked  rather 
suspiciously. 

" '  I'm  sure  I  dunno,'  was  the  girl's  reply.  '  But  he's 
been  callin'  for  you  all  this  blessed  day — "  Send  for  Mr. 
Wetherell — send  for  Mr.  Wetherell."  So  off  I  came 
when  I  got  back  from  work  to  fetch  you.  If  you're 
coming,  sir,  you'd  best  be  quick,  as  he  won't  last  till 
morning.' 

"  '  Very  well,  I'll  come  with  you  at  once,'  I  said,  tak- 


THE  ISLANDS  AND  WHAT  WE  FOUND  THERE.  271 

ing  a  mackintosh  down  from  a  peg.  Then,  having  told 
my  wife  not  to  sit  up  for  me,  I  followed  my  strange 
messenger  out  of  the  house  and  down  into  the  city. 

"  For  nearly  an  hour  we  walked  on  and  on,  plunging 
deeper  into  the  lower  quarter  of  the  city.  All  through 
the  march  my  guide  maintained  a  rigid  silence,  walking 
a  few  paces  ahead,  and  only  recognising  the  fact  that  I 
was  following  her  by  nodding  in  a  certain  direction 
whenever  we  arrived  at  cross  streets  or  interlacing 
lanes. 

"  At  last  we  arrived  at  the  street  she  wanted.  At 
the  corner  she  came  suddenly  to  a  standstill,  and  putting 
.her  two  fingers  into  her  mouth  blew  a  shrill  whistle 
after  the  fashion  of  street  boys.  A  moment  later  a 
shock-haired  urchin  about  ten  years  old  made  his  ap 
pearance  from  a  dark  alley  and  came  towards  us.  The 
woman  said  something  to  him,  which  I  did  not  catch, 
and  then  turning  sharply  to  her  left  hand  beckoned  to 
me  to  follow  her.  This  I  did,  but  not  without  a  feeling 
of  wonder  as  to  what  the  upshot  of  it  all  would  be. 

"From  the  street  itself  we  passed,  by  way  of  a 
villainous  alley,  to  a  large  courtyard  where  brooded  a 
silence  like  that  of  death.  Indeed,  a  more  weird  and, 
desolate  place  I  don't  remember  ever  to  have  encoun 
tered.  Not  a  soul  was  to  be  seen  in  it,  and  though  it 
was  surrounded  by  houses,  only  two  feeble  lights  showed 
themselves.  Towards  one  of  these  my  guide  made  her 
way,  stopping  on  the  threshold  of  a  door.  Upon  one  of 
the  panels  she  rapped  with  her  fingers,  and  immediately 
she  did  so  a  window  on  the  first  floor  opened  and  the 
same  boy  we  had  met  in  the  street  looked  out. 

" '  How  many  ? '  inquired  the  woman  who  had  brought 
me,  in  a  loud  whisper. 

" '  None  now,'  replied  the  boy, '  but  there's  been  a 


272  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

power  of  Chinkies  hereabouts  all  the  evenin'.  And  'arf 
an  hour  ago  there  was  a  gent  in  a  cloak.' 

"  Without  waiting  to  hear  any  more,  the  woman  en 
tered  the  house,  and  I  followed  close  at  her  heels.  The 
adventure  was  clearly  coming  to  a  head  now. 

"  When  the  door  had  been  closed  behind  us  the  boy 
appeared  at  the  top  of  a  flight  of  stairs  that  confronted 
us,  with  a  lighted  candle.  We  accordingly  ascended  to 
him,  and  having  done  so  made  our  way  towards  a  door 
at  the  end  of  the  villainously  dirty  landing.  At  inter 
vals  I  could  hear  a  sound  of  coughing  coming  from 
within.  My  -companion,  however,  bade  me  stop  while 
she  went  herself  into  the  room  ahead,  shutting  the  door 
after  her.  I  was  left  alone  with  the  boy,  who  immedi 
ately  took  me  under  his  protection,  and  for  my  un 
divided  benefit  performed  a  series  of  highly  meritorious 
acrobatic  performances  upon  the  feeble  banisters,  to  his 
own  danger  but  apparent  satisfaction.  Suddenly,  just 
as  he  was  about  to  commence  what  promised  to  be  the 
most  successful  item  of  his  repertoire,  he  paused,  lay  flat 
on  his  stomach  upon  the  floor,  and  craned  his  head  over 
the  side,  where  once  banisters  had  been,  and  gazed  into 
the  half  dark  well  below.  All  was  quiet  as  the  grave. 
Then,  without  warning,  an  almond-eyed,  pigtailed  head 
appeared  on  the  stairs  and  looked  upwards.  Before  I 
could  ejaculate  the  youth  had  divested  himself  of  his  one 
slipper,  taken  it  in  his  right  hand,  leaned  over  a  bit 
further,  and  struck  the  ascending  Celestial  a  severe  blow 
•on  the  mouth  with  the  heel  of  it.  There  was  the  noise 
of  a  hasty  descent  and  the  banging  of  the  street  door, 
then  all  was  still  again  and  the  youngster  turned  to  me. 

" '  That  was  Ah  Chong,'  he  said  confidentially.  '  He's 
the  sixth  Chinkie  I've  landed  like  that  since  dark,'  etc. 

"  This  important  piece  of  information  he  closed  with 


THE  ISLANDS  AND  WHAT  WE  FOUND  THERE.  273 

a  nine-jointed  oath  of  remarkable  atrocity,  and,  having 
done  so,  would  have  recommenced  the  performance  of 
acrobatic  feats  had  I  not  asked  the  reason  of  it  all.  He 
looked  at  me  with  a  grin  and  said : 

" '  I  dunno,  but  all  I  cares  is  that  China  Pete  in  there 
gives  me  a  sprat  (sixpence)  for  every  Chinkie  what  I 
keeps  out  of  the  'ouse.  He's  a  rum  one  is  China  Pete, 
an'  can't  he  cough,  my  word  ! ' 

"  I  was  about  to  put  another  question  when  the  door 
opened,  and  the  girl  who  had  brought  me  to  the  house 
beckoned  me  into  the  room.  I  entered,  and  she  left  us 
alone  together. 

"  Of  all  the  filthy  places  I  have  ever  seen,  and  I  have 
had  the  ill-luck  to  discover  a  good  many,  that  one 
eclipsed  them  all.  The  room  was  at  most  ten  feet  long 
by  seven  wide;  had  a  window  at  the  far  end,  and  the 
door  through  which  I  had  entered,  opposite  it.  The 
bed  place  was  stretched  between  the  door  and  the  win 
dow,  and  was  a  filthy  exhibition.  On  the  bed,  propped 
up  by  pillows,  and  looking  in  the  last  stage  of  collapse, 
was  the  man  called  China  Pete,  whom  I  had  seen  walk 
ing  out  of  the  dock  at  the  Supreme  Court  a  couple  of 
months  before.  When  we  were  alone  together  he 
pointed  to  a  box  near  the  bed  and  signified  that  I  should 
seat  myself.  I  did  so,  at  the  same  time  taking  occasion 
to  express  my  sorrow  at  finding  him  in  this  lamentable 
state.  He  made  no  reply  to  my  civilities,  but  after  a 
little  pause  found  strength  enough  to  whisper :  '  See  if 
there's  anybody  at  the  door.'  I  went  across,  opened  the 
door  and  looked  into  the  passage,  but,  save  the  boy,  who 
was  now  sitting  on  the  top  step  of  the  stairs  at  the  other 
end,  there  was  not  *a  soul  there.  I  told  him  this,  and 
having  again  closed  the  door,  sat  down  on  the  box  and 
waited  for  him  to  speak. 


274:  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

" '  You  did  me  a  good  turn,  Mr.  Wetherell,  over  that 
trial,'  the  invalid  said  at  last.  '  And  I  couldn't  make  it 
worth  your  while.' 

" '  Oh,  you  mustn't  let  that  worry  you,'  I  said  sooth 
ingly.  '  You  would  have  paid  me  if  you  had  been  able.' 

" '  Perhaps  I  should,  perhaps  I  shouldn't ;  anyhow  I 
didn't,  and  I  want  to  make  it  up  to  you  now.  Feel 
under  my  pillow  and  bring  out  what  you  find  there ! ' 

"  I  did  as  he  directed  me,  and  brought  to  light  a 
queer  little  wooden  stick  about  three  and  a  half  inches 
long,  made  of  some  heavy  wood  and  covered  all  over 
with  Chinese  inscriptions ;  at  one  end  was  a  little  bit  of 
heavy  gold  cord,  much  tarnished.  I  gave  it  to  him,  and 
he  looked  at  it  fondly. 

" '  Do  you  know  the  value  of  this  little  stick  ? '  he 
asked  after  a  while. 

" '  I  have  no  possible  notion,'  I  replied. 

" '  Make  a  guess,'  he  said. 

"  To  humour  him  I  guessed  five  pounds.  He  laughed 
with  scorn. 

" '  Five  pounds  !  Oh,  ye  gods !  Why,  as  a  bit  of 
stick  it's  not  worth  fivepence,  but  for  what  it  really  is, 
there  is  not  money  enough  in  the  world  to  purchase  it. 
If  I  could  get  about  again  I  would  make  myself  the 
richest  man  in  the  world  with  it.  If  you  could  only 
guess  one  particle  of  the  dangers  I've  been  through  to 
get  it  you  would  die  of  astonishment.  And  the  sarcasm 
of  it  all  is  that  now  I've  got  it  I  can't  make  use  of  it. 
On  six  different  occasions  the  priests  of  the  Llamaserai, 
in  Peking,  have  tried  to  murder  me  to  get  hold  of  it. 
I  brought  it  down  from  the  centre  of  China  disguised 
as  a  wandering  beggar.  That  business  connected  with 
the  murder  of  the  Chinaman  on  board  the  ship,  against 
which  you  defended  me,  was  on  account  of  it.  And 


THE  ISLANDS  AND  WHAT  WE  FOUND  THERE.  275 

how  I  lie  here,  dying  like  a  dog,  with  the  key  to  over 
ten  millions  in  my  hand.  Nikola  has  tried  for  five 
years  to  obtain  it,  without  success,  however.  He  little 
dreams  I've  got  it  after  all.  If  he  did  I'd  be  a  dead 
man  by  this  time.' 

"  '  Who  is  this  Nikola,  then  ? '  I  asked. 

"  '  Dr.  Nikola !  Well,  he's  Nikola,  and  that's  all  I  can 
tell  you.  If  you're  a  wise  man  you'll  want  to  know  no 
more.  Ask  the  Chinese  mothers  nursing  their  almond- 
eyed  spawn  in  Peking  who  he  is.  Ask  the  Japanese, 
ask  the  Malays,  the  Hindoos,  the  Burmese,  the  coal  por 
ters  in  Port  Said,  the  Buddhist  priests  of  Ceylon ;  ask 
the  King  of  Corea,  the  men  up  in  Thibet,  the  Spanish 
priests  in  Manila  or  the  Sultans  of  Borneo,  the  Minis 
ters  of  Siam,  or  the  French  in  Saigon.  They'll  all  know 
Dr.  Nikola  and  his  cat,  and,  take  my  word  for  it,  they 
fear  him.' 

"  I  looked  at  the  little  stick  in  my  hand  and  won 
dered  if  the  man  had  gone  mad. 

" '  What  do  you  wish  me  to  do  with  this  ? '  I  asked. 

"  '  Take  it  away  with  you,'  he  answered.  '  Guard  it 
like  your  life,  and  when  you  have  occasion,  use  it.  Ke- 
member  you  have  in  your  hand  what  will  raise  a  million 
men  and  the  equivalent  of  over  ten  mil ' 

"  At  this  point  a  violent  fit  of  coughing  seized  him 
and  nearly  tore  him  to  pieces.  I  lifted  him  up  a  little 
in  the  bed,  but  before  I  could  take  my  hands  away  a 
stream  of  blood  gushed  from  his  lips.  Like  a  flash  of 
thought  I  ran  to  the  door  to  call  the  girl.  The  boy  on 
the  stairs  re-echoed  my  shout,  and  in  less  time  than  it 
takes  to  tell,  the  woman  was  in  the  room.  But  we  were 
too  late.  China  Pete  was  dead  ! 

"  After  giving  her  all  the  money  I  had  in  my  pocket 
to  pay  for  the  funeral,  I  bade  her  good-bye,  and,  with 


276  A  BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

the  little  stick  in  my  pocket,  returned  to  my  home.  Once 
there  I  sat  myself  down  in  my  study,  took  my  legacy  out 
of  my  pocket,  and  carefully  examined  it.  As  to  its  pe 
culiar  power  and  value,  as  described  to  me  by  the  dead 
man,  I  hardly  knew  what  to  think.  My  own  private 
opinion  was  that  China  Pete  was  hardly  sane  at  the 
time.  And  yet  how  was  I  to  account  for  the  affray  with 
the  Chinaman  on  the  boat  and  the  evident  desire  of  the 
Celestials  in  Sydney  to  obtain  information  concerning 
it?  After  half  an  hour's  consideration  of  it,  I  locked  it 
up  in  a  drawer  of  my  safe  and  went  upstairs  to  bed. 

"  Next  day  China  Pete  was  buried,  and  by  the  end  of 
the  month  I  had  almost  forgotten  that  he  had  ever  ex 
isted,  and  had  hardly  thought  of  his  queer  little  gift, 
which  reposed  in  the  upper  drawer  of  my  safe.  But  I 
was  to  hear  more  of  it  later  on. 

"  One  night,  about  a  month  after  my  coming  into  pos 
session  of  the  stick,  my  wife  and  I  were  entertaining  a 
few  friends  at  dinner.  The  ladies  had  retired  to  the 
drawing-room  and  I  was  sitting  with  the  gentlemen  at 
the  table  over  our  wine.  Curiously  enough,  we  had  just 
been  discussing  the  main  aspects  of  the  politics  of  the 
East,  when  a  maidservant  entered  to  say  that  a  gentle 
man  had  called  and  would  be  glad  to  know  if  he  might 
have  an  interview  with  me  on  important  business.  I 
replied  to  the  effect  that  I  was  engaged,  and  told  her  to 
ask  him  if  he  would  call  again  in  the  morning.  The 
servant  left  the  room  only  to  return  with  the  informa 
tion  that  the  man  would  be  leaving  Sydney  shortly  after 
daylight,  but  that  if  I  would  see  him  later  on  in  the 
evening  he  would  call  again.  I  therefore  told  the  girl 
to  say  I  would  see  him  about  eleven  o'clock,  and  then 
dismissed  the  matter  from  my  mind. 

"  As  the  clock  struck  eleven  I  said  good-night  to  the 


THE  ISLANDS  AND  WHAT  WE  FOUND  THERE.  277 

last  of  my  guests  upon  the  doorstep.  The  carriage  had 
not  gone  fifty  yards  down  the  street  before  a  hansom 
drew  up  before  my  door  and  a  man  dressed  in  a  heavy 
cloak  jumped  out.  Bidding  the  driver  wait  for  him,  he 
ran  up  my  steps. 

"  '  Mr.  Wetherell,  I  believe  ? '  he  said.  I  nodded  and 
wished  him  "  good  evening,"  at  the  same  time  asking 
his  business. 

" '  I  will  tell  you  with  pleasure,'  he  answered,  '  if  you 
will  permit  me  five  minutes  alone  with  you.  It  is  most 
important,  and  as  I  leave  Sydney  early  to-morrow  morn 
ing,  you  will  see  that  there  is  not  much  time  to  spare.' 

"  I  led  the  way  into  the  house  and  to  my  study,  which 
was  in  the  rear,  overlooking  the  garden.  Once  there  I 
bade  him  be  seated,  taking  up  my  position  at  my  desk. 
Then,  in  the  light  of  the  lamp,  I  became  aware  of  the 
extraordinary  personality  of  my  visitor.  He  was  of  mid 
dle  height,  but  beautifully  made.  His  face  was  oval  in 
shape,  with  a  deadly  white  complexion.  In  contrast  to 
this,  however,  his  eyes  and  hair  were  dark  as  night. 
He  looked  at  me  very  searchingly  for  a  moment  and 
then  said : 

" '  My  business  will  surprise  you  a  little  I  expect,  Mr. 
Wetherell.  First  and  foremost  let  me  tell  you  some 
thing  about  myself,  and  then  ask  you  a  question.  You 
must  understand  that  I  am  pretty  well  known  as  an 
Eastern  traveller;  from  Port  Said  to  the  Kuriles  there 
is  hardly  a  place  that  I  do  not  know.  I  have  a  hobby.  I 
am  a  collector  of  Eastern  curios.  But  there  is  one  thing 
I  have  never  been  able  to  obtain  ! ' 

" '  And  that  is  ?  ' 

" '  A  Chinese  executioner's  symbol  of  office.' 

" '  But  how  can  I  help  you  ? '  I  asked,  completely 
mystified. 


278  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

" '  By  selling  me  one  that  has  lately  come  into  your 
possession.  It  is  a  little  black  stick,  about  three  inches 
in  length,  and  covered  with  Chinese  characters.  I  hap 
pened  to  hear  quite  by  chance  that  you  had  one  in  your 
possession,  and  I  have  taken  a  journey  of  some  thousands 
of  miles  to  endeavour  to  purchase  it  from  you.' 

"  I  went  across  to  the  safe,  unlocked  it,  and  took  out 
the  little  stick  China  Pete  had  given  me.  When  I 
turned  round  I  almost  dropped  it  with  surprise  as  I  saw 
the  look  of  eagerness  that  rose  in  my  visitor's  face. 
But  he  pulled  himself  together,  and  said  as  calmly  as  he 
had  yet  addressed  me  : 

" '  That  is  the  very  thing.  If  you  will  allow  me  to 
purchase  it,  it  will  complete  my  collection.  What  value 
do  you  place  upon  it.' 

" '  I  have  no  sort  of  notion  of  its  worth,'  I  answered, 
putting  it  down  on  the  table  and  looking  at  it.  Then 
in  a  flash  a  thought  came  into  my  brain,  and  I  was  about 
to  speak  when  he  addressed  me  again. 

" '  Of  course  my  reason  for  wishing  to  purchase  it  is 
rather  a  hare-brained  one,  but  if  you  care  to  let  me  have 
it  I  will  give  you  fifty  pounds  for  it  with  pleasure.' 

" '  Not  enough,  Dr.  Nikola  ! '  I  said  with  a  smile. 

"  He  jumped  as  if  he  were  shot,  and  then  clasped  his 
hands  tight  on  the  arm  of  his  chair.  My  random  bolt 
had  gone  straight  to  the  heart  of  the  bull's-eye.  This 
man,  then,  was  Dr.  Nikola — the  extraordinary  individual 
against  whom  China  Pete  had  warned  me.  I  was  de 
termined  now  that,  come  what  might,  he  should  not 
have  the  stick. 

" '  Do  you  not  consider  the  offer  I  make  you  a  good 
one  then,  Mr.  Wetherell  ? '  he  said. 

" '  I'm  sorry  to  say  I  don't  think  the  stick  is  for  sale,' 
I  answered.  '  It  was  left  to  me  by  a  man  in  return  for 


THE  ISLANDS  AND  WHAT  WE  FOUND  THERE.  279 

a  queer  sort  of  service  I  rendered  him,  and  I  think  I 
should  like  to  keep  it  as  a  souvenir.' 

" '  I  will  raise  my  offer  to  a  hundred  pounds  in  that 
case,'  said  Nikola. 

" '  I  would  rather  not  part  with  it,'  I  said,  and  as  I 
spoke,  as  if  to  clinch  the  matter,  I  took  it  up  and  re 
turned  it  to  the  safe,  taking  care  to  lock  the  door 
upon  it. 

" '  I  will  give  you  five  hundred  pounds  for  it,'  cried 
Nikola,  now  thoroughly  excited.  'Surely  that  will 
tempt  you  ? ' 

" '  I'm  afraid  an  offer  of  ten  times  that  amount  would 
make  no  difference,'  I  replied,  feeling  more  convinced 
than  ever  that  I  would  not  part  with  it. 

"He  laid  himself  back  in  his  chair  and  for  nearly  a 
minute  and  a  half  stared  me  full  in  the  face.  You  have 
seen  Nikola's  eyes,  so  I  needn't  tell  you  what  a  queer  effect 
they  are  able  to  produce.  I  could  not  withdraw  mine  from 
them,  and  I  felt  that  if  I  did  not  make  an  effort  I  should 
be  mesmerised.  So,  pulling  myself  together,  I  sprang 
from  my  chair,  and,  by  doing  so,  let  him  see  that  our  in 
terview  was  at  an  end.  However,  he  was  not  going  with 
out  a  farewell  attempt  to  come  to  a  bargain.  When  he 
saw  that  I  was  not  to  be  moved,  his  temper  gave  way, 
and  he  bluntly  told  me  that  I  would  have  to  sell  it  to 
him. 

" '  There  is  no  compulsion  in  the  matter,'  I  said 
warmly.  '  The  curio  is  my  own  property  and  I  will  do 
just  as  I  please  with  it.' 

"  He  thereupon  begged  my  pardon,  asking  me  to  at 
tribute  his  impatience  to  the  collector's  eagerness ;  and 
after  a  few  last  words  bade  me  '  good-night,'  and  left 
the  house. 

"  When  his  cab  had  rolled  away  I  went  back  to  my 


280  A  BII)   FOR  FORTUNE. 

study  and  sat  thinking  for  a  while.  Then  something 
prompted  me  to  take  out  the  stick  from  the  safe.  I  did 
so,  and  sat  at  my  table  gazing  at  it  and  wondering  what 
the  mystery  might  be  to  which  it  was  the  key.  That  it 
was  not  what  Dr.  Nikola  had  described  it  I  felt  certain. 

"  At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  I  put  it  in  my  pocket, 
intending  to  take  it  upstairs  to  show  my  wife,  locked 
the  safe  again,  and  went  up  to  my  dressing-room. 
When  I  had  narrated  the  interview  and  shown  the  stick, 
I  placed  it  in  the  drawer  of  the  looking-glass  and  went 
to  bed. 

"  Next  morning  about  three  o'clock  I  was  awakened 
by  the  sound  of  some  one  knocking  violently  at  my 
door.  I  jumped  out  of  bed  and  inquired  who  it  might 
be.  To  my  intense  surprise,  the  answer  was  '  Police.' 
I  therefore  donned  some  attire  and  went  out,  to  find  a 
sergeant  of  police  on  the  landing  waiting  for  me. 

"  '  What  is  the  matter  ? '  I  cried. 

"  '  Burglar  ! '  was  his  answer.  '  We've  got  him  down 
stairs.  Caught  him  in  the  act.' 

"  I  followed  the  officer  down  to  the  study.  What  a 
scene  was  there  !  The  safe  had  been  forced  and  its  con 
tents  lay  scattered  in  every  direction.  One  drawer  of 
my  writing-table  was  also  open,  and  in  a  corner,  hand 
cuffed  and  guarded  by  a  stalwart  constable,  stood  a 
Chinaman. 

"  Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  the  man  was 
tried,  and,  after  denying  all  knowledge  of  Nikola — who 
by  the  way  could  not  be  found,  or  any  stick — was  con 
victed  and  sentenced  to  five  years'  hard  labour.  For  a 
month  I  heard  no  more  about  the  curio.  Then  a  letter 
arrived  from  an  English  solicitor  in  Shanghai  demand 
ing  from  me,  on  behalf  of  a  Chinaman  residing  in  that 
place,  a  little  wooden  stick  covered  with  Chinese  char- 


THE  ISLANDS  AND  WHAT  WE  FOUND  THERE.  281 

acters,  which  was  said  to  have  been  stolen  by  an  Eng 
lishman  known  in  Shanghai  as  China  Pete.  This  was 
very  clearly  another  attempt  on  Nikola's  part  to  obtain 
possession  of  it,  so  I  replied  to  the  effect  that  I  could 
not  entertain  the  request. 

"  A  month  or  so  later,  I  cannot,  however,  be  particular 
as  to  the  exact  date,  I  found  myself  again  in  communi 
cation  with  Nikola,  this  time  from  South  America. 
But  there  was  this  difference :  on  this  occasion  he  used 
undisguised  threats,  not  only  against  myself,  in  the 
event  of  my  still  refusing  to  give  him  what  he  wanted, 
but  also  against  my  wife  and  daughter.  I  took  no  no 
tice,  with  the  result  that  my  residence  was  again  broken 
into,  but  still  without  success.  I  no  longer  locked  the 
talisman  up  in  the  safe,  but  hid  it  in  a  place  where  I 
knew  no  one  could  possibly  find  it.  My  mind,  you  will 
see,  was  perfectly  made  up,  I  was  not  going  to  be  driven 
into  surrendering  it. 

"  One  night,  returning  to  my  house,  I  was  garroted 
and  searched  within  a  hundred  yards  of  my  own  front 
door.  But  they  could  not  find  it  on  me.  Then  pecul 
iar  pressure  from  other  quarters  was  brought  to  bear, 
my  servants  were  bribed,  and  my  life  became  almost  a 
burden  to  me.  What  was  more,  I  began  to  develop  that 
extraordinary  fear  of  Nikola  which  seems  to  seize  upon 
every  one  who  has  any  dealing  at  all  with  him.  When 
I  went  home  to  England  some  months  back  I  did  it 
because  my  spirits  had  got  into  such  a  depressed  state 
that  I  could  not  remain  in  Australia.  But  I  took  care 
to  deposit  the  stick  with  my  plate  in  the  bank  before  I 
left.  There  it  remained  till  I  returned,  when  I  put  it 
in  its  old  hiding-place  again. 

"  The  day  after  I  reached  London  I  happened  to  be 
crossing  Trafalgar  Square,  when  I  saw  Dr.  Nikola 


282  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

watching  me  from  the  other  side  of  the  road.  There 
and  then  I  returned  to  my  hotel,  bade  Phyllis  pack  with 
all  possible  despatch,  and  that  same  afternoon  we  started 
to  return  to  Australia.  The  rest  you  know.  Now  what 
do  you  think  of  it  all  ?  " 

"  It's  an  extraordinary  story.     Where  is  the  stick  at 
the  present  moment  ?  " 

"  In  my  pocket.  Would  you  like  to  see  it  ?" 
"  Very  much,  if  you  would  permit  me  to  do  so." 
He  unbuttoned  his  coat,  and  from  a  carefully  con 
trived  pocket  under  the  arm  drew  out  a  little  piece  of 
wood,  exactly  of  the  length  and  shape  he  had  described. 
I  took  it  from  him  and  gazed  at  it  carefully.  It  was 
covered  all  over  with  Chinese  writing,  and  had  a  piece 
of  gold  silk  attached  to  the  handle.  There  was  noth 
ing  very  remarkable  about  it,  but  I  must  own  I  was 
strangely  fascinated  by  it  when  I  remembered  the  mis 
ery  it  had  caused,  the  changes  and  chances  it  had 
brought  about,  the  weird  story  told  by  China  Pete,  and 
the  efforts  that  had  been  made  by  Nikola  to  obtain  pos 
session  of  it.  I  gave  it  back  to  its  owner,  and  then  stood 
looking  out  over  the  smooth  sea,  wondering  where  Phyllis 
was  and  what  she  was  doing.  Nikola,  when  I  met  him, 
would  have  a  heavy  account  to  settle  with  me,  and  if  my 
darling  reported  any  cruelty  on  his  part  I  would  show 
no  mercy.  But  why  had  Mr.  Wetherell  brought  the  curio 
with  him  now  ?  I  turned  and  put  the  question  to  him. 
"  For  one  very  good  reason,"  he  answered.  "  If  it  is 
the  stick  Nikola  is  after,  he  may  demand  it  as  a  ransom 
for  my  girl,  and  I  am  quite  willing  to  let  him  have  it. 
The  wretched  thing  has  caused  enough  misery  to  make 
me  only  too  glad  to  be  rid  of  it." 

"  I  hope  we  shall  be  able  to  get  her  without  ftiat,"  I 
said.     "  Now  let  us  go  aft  to  lunch." 


THE  ISLANDS  AND  WHAT  WE  FOUND  THERE.  283 

The  day  following  we  were  within  a  hundred  miles 
of  our  destination,  and  by  midday  of  the  day  following 
that  again  were  near  enough  to  render  it  advisable  to 
hold  a  council  over  our  intended  movements.  Accord 
ingly,  a  little  before  lunch  time  the  Marquis,  Wetherell, 
the  skipper,  and  myself  met  under  the  after  awning  to 
consider  our  plan  of  war.  The  vessel  herself  was  hove 
to,  as  we  had  no  desire  to  put  in  an  appearance  during 
daylight. 

"  The  first  matter  to  be  taken  into  consideration,  I 
think,  Mr.  Wetherell,"  said  the  skipper,  "is  the  point 
as  to  which  side  of  the  island  we  shall  bring  up  on." 

"  You  will  be  able  to  settle  that,"  answered  Weth 
erell,  looking  at  me.  "  You  are  acquainted  with  the 
island  and  can  best  advise  us." 

"  I  will  do  so  to  the  best  of  my  ability,"  I  said,  sitting 
down  on  the  deck  and  drawing  an  outline  with  a  piece 
of  chalk.  "  The  island  is  shaped  like  this  :  There  is  no 
reef.  Here  is  the  best  anchorage  without  doubt,  but 
here  is  the  point  where  we  shall  be  most  likely  to  ap 
proach  without  being  observed.  The  trend  of  the  land 
is  all  upwards  from  the  shore,  and,  as  far  as  I  remember, 
the  most  likely  spot  for  a  hut — if  they  have  Miss  Weth 
erell  there,  as  we  suppose — will  be  on  a  little  plateau 
looking  south,  and  hard  by  the  only  fresh  water  on  the 
island." 

"And  what  sort  of  anchorage  shall  we  get  there,  do 
you  think  ? "  asked  the  skipper,  who  very  properly 
wished  to  run  no  risk  with  his  owner's  boat. 

"  Sand  and  coral.  None  too  good,  perhaps,  but,  as 
we  shall  have  steam  up,  quite  safe  enough." 

"  And  how  do  you  propose  that  we  shall  approach 
the  hut  when  we  land  ?     Is  there  any  undergrowth,  or 
must  we  climb  the  hil]  under  the  enemies'  fire  ?  " 
19 


284  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  that  out,"  I  said,  "  and  I 
have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  best  plan  would 
be  for  us  to  approach  the  island  after  dark,  to  heave 
her  to  about  three  miles  out  and  pull  ashore  in  the 
boat ;  we  will  then  ascend  the  hill  by  the  eastern  slope 
and  descend  upon  them.  They  will  probably  not  ex 
pect  us  from  that  quarter,  and  it  will  at  least  be  easier 
than  climbing  the  hill  in  the  face  of  a  heavy  fire. 
What  do  you  say  ?  " 

"It  seems  very  practicable,"  they  all  answered  im 
mediately. 

"Very  good,  then,"  said  the  skipper;  "we'll  have 
lunch  and,  afterwards  begin  our  preparations."  Then, 
turning  to  me  :  "  I'll  get  you  to  come  into  my  cabin  by- 
and-bye  and  take  a  look  at  the  admiralty  chart.  You 
will  be  able,  probably,  to  tell  me  if  you  think  it's  all 
right." 

"With  pleasure,"  I  answered,  and  then  we  went 
down  below. 

Directly  our  meal  was  over  I  accompanied  the  skip 
per  to  look  at  the  chart,  and  upon  it  we  marked  our 
probable  anchorage.  Then  an  adjournment  was  made 
aft,  and  our  equipment  of  rifles  and  revolvers  thor 
oughly  overhauled.  We  had  decided  before  this  that 
our  landing  party  should  consist  of  eight  men — Weth- 
erell,  Beckenham,  the  mate  of  the  yacht,  myself,  and 
four  of  the  crew — all  of  whom  would  be  supplied  with  a 
Winchester  repeating  rifle,  a  revolver,  and  a  dozen  cart 
ridges  for  each  weapon.  Not  a  shot  was  to  be  fired 
unless  absolutely  necessary,  and  the  greatest  care  was  to 
be  taken  in  order  to  approach  the  hut,  if  possible,  with 
out  disturbing  its  inmates. 

When  the  arms  had  been  distributed  and  carefully 
examined  the  sixteen-foot  surf  boat  was  uncovered  and 


THE  ISLANDS  AND  WHAT  WE  FOUND.  THERE.  285 

preparations  made  for  hoisting  her  overboard.  By  the 
time  this  was  done  it  was  late  in  the  afternoon,  and 
almost  time  for  us  to  be  thinking  about  overcoming 
the  distance  which  separated  us  from  our  destination. 
Exactly  at  four  o'clock  the  telegraph  on  the  bridge 
signalled  "  Go  ahead ! "  and  we  were  on  our  way  once 
more.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  think  we  were  so  nervous 
that  we  were  only  too  thankful  to  be  moving  again. 

About  dusk  I  was  standing  aft,  leaning  against 
the  taffrail,  when  Beckenham  came  up  and  stood  be 
side  me.  It  was  wonderful  the  difference  these  few 
months  had  made  in  him ;  he  was  as  brown  as  a  berry 
and  as  fine-looking  a  young  fellow  as  any  man  could 
wish  to  see. 

"We  shall  be  picking  up  the  island  directly,"  I 
said  as  he  came  to  an  anchor  alongside  me.  "  Do  you 
think  you  ought  to  run  the  risk  of  being  shot  to 
night?" 

"I  have  not  thought  of  that,"  he  said.  "But  I 
think  it's  my  duty  to  do  my  best  to  help  you  and  Mr. 
Wetherell." 

"  But  what  would  your  father  say  if  he  knew  ?  " 

"  He  would  say  that  I  only  did  what  was  right. 
I  have  just  been  writing  to  him,  telling  him  every 
thing.  If  anything  should  happen  to  me  you  will  find 
the  letter  on  your  chest  of  drawers  in  your  cabin.  I 
know  you  will  send  it  on  to  him.  But  if  we  both  come 
out  of  it  safely  and  rescue  Miss  Wetherell,  I'm  going  to 
ask  a  favour  of  you." 

"  Granted  before  I  know  what  it  is?  " 

"  It  isn't  a  very  great  one.  I  want  you  to  let  me  be 
your  best  man  at  your  wedding." 

"  So  you  shall.  And  a  better  I  could  not  possibly 
have." 


286  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  I  like  to  hear  you  say  that.  We've  been  through 
a  good  deal  together,  haven't  we,  since  we  left  Eu 
rope  ?  " 

"  We  have ;  and  to-night  will  bring  it  to  a  climax, 
or  I'm  much  mistaken." 

"  Do  you  think  Nikola  will  show  fight?" 

"  Not  a  doubt  about  it,  I  should  think.  If  he  finds 
himself  cornered  he'll  probably  fight  like  a  demon." 

"  It's  Baxter  I  want  to  meet." 

"  It's  Nikola  I  want.  I've  a  big  grudge  against  him 
and  I  want  to  pay  it." 

"  How  little  we  thought  when  we  were  cruising 
about  Bournemouth  Bay  together  that  within  such  a 
short  space  of  time  we  should  be  sailing  the  South 
Pacific  on  such  an  errand !  It  seems  almost  too  strange 
to  be  possible." 

"  Never  mind.  All's  well  that  ends  well.  So  let's 
hope  we're  going  to  be  successful  to-night.  Now  I'm 
going  on  the  bridge  to  see  if  I  can  pick  the  land  up 
ahead." 

I  left  him  and  went  forward  to  the  captain's  side. 
Dusk  had  now  quite  fallen  and  it  was  impossible  to 
see  very  far  ahead.  A  hand  had  been  posted  in  the 
fore  rigging  as  a  lookout,  and  every  moment  we  ex 
pected  to  hear  his  warning,  but  nearly  an  hour  went  by 
and  still  it  did  not  come. 

Then  suddenly  the  cry  rang  out, "  Land  ahead !  "  and 
we  knew  that  our  destination  was  in  sight.  Long 
before  this  all  our  lights  had  been  obscured,  and  so  in 
the  darkness,  for  a  thick  pall  of  cloud  covered  the  sky, 
we  crept  up  towards  the  coast.  Within  a  couple  of 
minutes  of  hearing  the  hail  every  man  on  board  was 
on  deck  gazing  ahead  in  the  direction  in  which  we 
were  proceeding.  If  all  hearts  throbbed  as  mine  did 


THE  ISLANDS  AND  WHAT  WE  FOUND  THERE.  287 

we  should  have  been  a  nervous  community ;  but  I  do 
believe  every  man  was  excited  above  the  ordinary. 

By  tea  time  we  had  brought  the  land  considerably 
nearer,  and  by  eight  o'clock  were  within  three  miles  of 
it.  Not  a  sign,  however,  of  any  ship  could  we  discern, 
and  the  greatest  vigilance  had  to  be  exercised  on  our 
part  to  allow  no  sign  to  escape  to  show  our  where 
abouts.  Exactly  at  nine  o'clock  the  shore  party,  fully 
armed,  assembled  on  deck,  and  the  surf  boat  was 
swung  overboard.  Then  in  the  darkness  we  crept  down 
the  gangway  and  took  our  places.  The  mate  was  in 
possession  of  the  tiller,  and  when  all  was  ready  we  set 
out  for  the  shore. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

CONCLUSION". 

ONCE  we  had  left  her  side  and  turned  our  boat's 
nose  shoreward,  the  yacht  lay  behind  us,  a  black  mass 
half  absorbed  in  the  general  shadow.  Not  a  light 
showed  itself,  and  everything  was  as  still  as  the  grave ; 
the  only  noise  to  be  heard  was  the  steady  dip,  dip  of  the 
oars  in  the  smooth  water  and  the  chirp  of  the  rowlocks. 
For  nearly  an  hour  we  pulled  on,  pausing  at  intervals  to 
listen.  But  nothing  of  an  alarming  nature  met  our 
ears.  Every  moment  the  island  was  growing  larger,  the 
beach  more  plain  to  the  eye,  and  the  hill  more  clearly 
outlined. 

As  soon  as  the  boat  grounded  we  all  sprang  out  and, 
leaving  one  hand  to  look  after  her,  made  our  way  ashore. 
It  was  a  strange  experience,  that  landing  on  a  strange 
island  on  such  an  errand  and  at  such  an  hour,  but  we 
were  all  too  much  taken  up  with  what  lay  before  us  to 
think  of  that.  Having  left  the  water,  we  came  to  a 
standstill  beneath  a  group  of  palms  and  discussed  the 
situation.  As  the  command  of  the  expedition  had  been 
given  to  me,  I  decided  upon  the  following  plan  :  First 
and  foremost,  I  would  leave  the  party  behind  me  and  set 
out  by  myself  to  ascertain  the  whereabouts  of  the  hut. 
Having  discovered  this,  I  would  return,  and  we  would 
thereupon  make  our  way  inland  and  endeavour  to  cap- 

288 


CONCLUSION.  289 

ture  it.  I  explained  this  in  as  few  words  as  possible  to 
my  followers,  and  then,  bidding  them  wait  for  me  where 
they  were,  at  the  same  time  warning  them  against  let 
ting  their  presence  be  discovered,  I  set  off  up  the  hill 
in  the  direction  I  knew  the  plateau  to  lie.  The  under 
growth  was  very  thick  and  the  ground  rocky,  so  for  this 
reason  it  was  nearly  twenty  minutes  before  I  reached 
the  top  of  the  hill.  Then  down  on  the  other  side  I 
crept,  picking  my  way  carefully,  and  taking  infinite  pre 
cautions  not  to  allow  any  noise  to  give  evidence  of  my 
coming. 

At  last  I  reached  the  high  ground  above  the  plateau 
and  looked  about  me.  A  small  perpendicular  cliff 
some  sixty  feet  or  so  in  height  was  before  me,  so  throw 
ing  myself  down  flat  I  wriggled  my  way  to  its  edge. 
When  I  got  there  I  looked  over  and  discovered  three 
well-built  huts  upon  a  little  plateau  at  the  cliff's  base. 
At  the  same  moment  a  roar  of  laughter  greeted  my  ears 
from  the  building  on  the  left.  It  was  followed  by  the 
voice  of  a  man  singing  to  the  accompaniment  of  a  banjo. 
Under  cover  of  his  music  I  rose  to  my  feet  and  crept 
back  through  the  bushes  on  the  track  by  which  I  had 
come.  I  knew  enough  now  to  locate  my  forces. 

Having  reached  my  friends  again,  I  informed  them 
of  what  I  had  seen,  and  we  then  arranged  the  mode  of 
attack  as  follows :  The  mate  of  the  yacht  with  two  of 
the  hands  would  pass  round  the  hill  to  the  left  side  of 
the  plateau,  Wetherell  and  another  couple  of  the  hands 
would  take  the  right  side,  while  Beckenham  and  myself 
crept  down  at  the  back.  Not  a  sound  was  to  be  made  or 
a  shot  fired  until  I  blew  my  whistle  as  a  signal.  Then, 
with  one  last  word  of  caution,  we  started  on  our  climb. 

By  this  time  the  clouds  had  cleared  off  the  sky  and 
the  stars  shone  brightly.  Now  and  again  a  bird  would 


290  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

give  a  drowsy  caw  as  we  disturbed  it,  or  a  wild  pig 
would  jump  up  with  a  grunt  and  go  trotting  off  into 
the  undergrowth;  but  beyond  these  things  we  hardly 
made  a  sound.  Once  more  we  arrived  at  the  small 
precipice  behind  the  huts  and,  having  done  so,  sat  down 
for  a  few  moments  to  give  the  other  parties  time  to 
take  up  their  positions.  Then  signing  to  Beckenham 
to  follow  me,  I  followed  the  trend  of  the  precipice 
along  till  I  found  a  place  where  we  might  in  safety  de 
scend.  In  less  than  a  minute  we  were  on  the  plateau 
below  creeping  towards  the  centre  hut.  Still  our  ap 
proach  was  undetected.  Bidding  Beckenham,  in  a 
whisper,  wait  for  me,  I  made  my  way  cautiously  round 
to  the  front,  keeping  as  much  as  possible  in  the  shadow. 
As  soon  as  I  had  discovered  the  door  I  made  my  way  to 
wards  it  and  prepared  to  force  my  way  inside.  But  I 
had  an  adventure  in  store  for  me  which  I  did  not  ex 
pect.  Seated  in  the  doorway  almost  hidden  in  the 
shadow  was  the  figure  of  a  man.  He  must  have  been 
asleep,  for  he  did  not  become  aware  of  my  presence  un 
til  I  was  within  a  foot  of  him.  Then  he  sprang  to  his 
feet  and  was  about  to  give  the  alarm,  but  before  he  could 
do  so  I  was  upon  him.  Then  commenced  a  desperate 
hand-to-hand  struggle,  in  which  I  was  fighting  solely 
for  his  throat.  This  once  obtained,  I  tightened  my  fin 
gers  round  it  and  squeezed  until  he  fell  back  uncon 
scious.  It  was  like  a  horrible  nightmare,  that  combat 
without  noise  in  the  dark  entry  of  the  hut,  but  I  was 
thankful  that  it  had  ended  so  satisfactorily  for  me.  As 
soon  as  I  could  I  rose  to  my  feet  and  proceeded  past  his 
body  into  the  hut  itself.  A  swing  door  led  from  the 
porch,  and  this  I  pushed  open.  "  Who  is  it,  and  what  do 
you  want?"  said  a  voice  which  I  should  have  recognised 
everywhere. 


CONCLUSION.  291 

In  answer  I  took  her  in  my  arms  and,  whispering  my 
name,  kissed  her  over  and  over  again.  Then,  bidding 
her  step  quietly,  I  passed  out  into  the  starlight  and  led 
her  after  me.  As  we  were  about  to  make  for  the  path 
by  which  I  had  descended,  Beckenham  stepped  forward, 
and  at  the  same  instant  the  man  with  whom  I  had  been 
wrestling  gave  a  shout  of  alarm.  In  an  instant  there 
was  the  noise  of  scurrying  feet  and  the  shouting  of 
orders. 

"  Make  for  the  boats !  "  I  cried  at  the  top  of  my  voice, 
and  then,  taking  Phyllis  by  the  hand,  set  off  as  quick  as 
I  could  up  the  path,  Beckenham  assisting  her  on  the 
other  side.  If  I  live  to  be  a  hundred  I  shall  never  for 
get  that  rush  up  the  hill.  Like  rabbits  we  dashed  in 
and  out  of  trees  and  bushes,  scratching  ourselves  and 
tearing  our  clothes,  but  conscious  only  of  the  necessity 
for  speed.  Before  we  were  half  way  down  the  other 
side  Phyllis's  strength  was  quite  exhausted,  so  I  took  her 
in  my  arms  and  carried  her  for  the  remainder  of  the 
distance.  At  last  we  reached  the  boats  and  jumped  on 
board.  The  rest  of  the  party  were  already  there,  and, 
the  word  being  given,  we  prepared  to  row  out  to  the 
yacht.  But  before  we  could  push  off  a  painful  surprise 
was  in  store  for  us.  Suddenly  the  Marquis  cried, 
"  Where  is  Mr.  WetherelU  " 

We  looked  round  upon  each  other,  and  surely  enough 
the  old  gentleman  was  not  with  us.  At  this  Phyllis 
nearly  gave  way,  and  implored  us  to  go  back  at  once  and 
find  him.  But  having  rescued  her  with  so  much  diffi 
culty,  I  did  not  wish  to  run  any  risk  of  her  falling  into 
her  enemies'  hands  again,  so  selecting  four  volunteers 
from  the  party,  I  bade  the  rest  pull  the  boat  out  to  the 
yacht  and  give  Miss  Wetherell  into  the  captain's  charge, 
while  we  went  ashore  again  in  search  of  her  father. 


292  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

Having  done  this,  the  boat  was  to  return  and  wait 
for  us. 

Quickly  we  splashed  our  way  back  to  the  beach,  and 
then,  plunging  into  the  undergrowth,  began  our  search 
for  the  missing  man.  It  was  like  looking  for  a  needle 
in  a  bundle  of  hay,  and  as  one  of  the  hands  remem 
bered  seeing  him  descending  the  hill  we  devoted  our 
attentions  to  that  side.  For  nearly  two  hours  we 
searched,  but  without  success.  Not  a  sign  of  the  gen 
tleman  was  to  be  seen.  Could  he  have  mistaken  his 
way  and  be  even  now  searching  for  us  on  another  beach  ? 
To  make  sure  of  this  we  set  off  and  thoroughly  searched 
the  two  bays  in  the  direction  he  would  most  likely  have 
taken.  But  still  without  success.  Perhaps  he  had  been 
captured  and  carried  back  to  the  huts.  In  that  case  we 
had  better  proceed  thither  and  try  to  rescue  him.  This, 
however,  was  a  much  more  serious  undertaking,  and  you 
may  imagine  it  was  with  considerable  care  that  we  ap 
proached  the  plateau. 

When  we  got  there  the  huts  were  as  quiet  as  when  I 
had  first  made  their  acquaintance.  Not  a  sound  came 
up  to  the  top  of  the  little  precipice  save  the  wind  in  the 
palms  at  its  foot.  It  seemed  difficult  to  believe  that 
there  had  been  such  a  tumult  on  the  spot  so  short  a 
time  before. 

Again,  with  infinite  care,  we  crept  down  to  the  huts, 
this  time,  however,  without  encountering  a  soul.  The 
first  building  was  empty,  so  was  the  second,  and  so  was 
the  third.  This  was  quite  unexpected,  and  rendered  the 
situation  even  more  mysterious. 

By  the  time  we  had  thoroughly  explored  the  plateau 
and  its  surroundings  it  was  nearly  daylight,  and  still  we 
had  discovered  no  trace  of  the  missing  man.  Just  as 
the  sun  rose  above  the  sea  line  we  descended  the  hill 


CONCLUSION.  293 

again  and  commenced  a  second  search,  with  no  more 
luck,  however,  than  on  the  preceding  occasion.  Weth- 
erell  and  our  assailants  seemed  to  have  completely  disap 
peared. 

About  six  o'clock,  thoroughly  worn  out,  we  re 
turned  to  the  beach,  where  the  boat  was  in  waiting 
for  us.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  We  could  not,  for  ob 
vious  reasons,  leave  the  island  and  abandon  the  old 
gentleman  to  his  fate,  and  yet  it  seemed  useless  to  re 
main  there  when  he  might  have  been  spirited  away  else 
where. 

Suddenly  one  of  the  hands,  who  had  been  loitering 
behind,  came  into  view  waving  something  in  his  hand. 
As  he  came  closer  we  could  see  that  it  was  a  sheet  of 
paper,  and  when  he  gave  it  into  my  hands  I  read  as 
follows : 

"  If  you  cross  the  island  to  the  North  beach  you  will 
find  a  small  cliff  with  a  large  cave,  a  little  above  high- 
water  mark.  There  you  will  discover  the  man  for  whom 
you  are  searching,"  There  was  no  signature  to  this 
epistle  and  the  writing  was  quite  unfamiliar  to  me. 
But  I  had  no  reason  to  doubt  its  authenticity. 

"Where  did  you  discover  this?"  I  inquired  of  the 
man  who  had  brought  it. 

"  Fastened  to  one  of  them  prickly  bushes  up  on  the 
beach  there,"  he  answered. 

"  Well,  the  only  thing  for  us  to  do  now  is  to  set  off 
for  the  North  beach  and  hunt  for  the  cave.  Two  of 
you  had  better  take  the  boat  back  to  the  yacht  and  ask 
the  captain  to  follow  us  round." 

As  soon  as  the  boat  was  under  weigh  we  picked  up 
our  rifles  and  set  off  for  the  North  beach.  It  was  swel- 
teringly  hot  by  this  time,  and,  as  may  be  imagined,  we  were 
all  dead  tired.  However,  we  should  be  amply  repaid  if 


294  A   BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

we  could  effect  the  rescue  of  the  man  for  whom  we  had 
been  searching. 

At  last  we  turned  the  cape  and  entered  the  bay 
which  constituted  the  north  end  of  the  island.  It  was 
not  a  large  beach,  but  had,  at  its  western  end,  a  curious 
line  of  small  cliffs,  in  the  centre  of  which  we  could  make 
out  a  small  black  spot  looking  remarkably  like  the 
entrance  to  a  cave.  Towards  this  we  pressed,  forgetting 
our  weariness  in  the  excitement  of  the  search. 

It  was  a  cave,  and  a  large  one.  So  far  the  letter  was 
correct. 

Preparing  ourselves,  in  case  of  surprise,  we  ap 
proached  the  entrance,  calling  Mr.  Wetherell's  name. 
As  our  shouts  died  away  a  voice  came  out  in  reply,  and 
thereupon  we  rushed  in.  A  remarkable  sight  met  our 
eyes.  In  the  centre  of  the  cave  was  a  stout  upright 
post,  some  six  or  eight  feet  in  height,  and  to  this, 
securely  tied,  was  the  Colonial  Secretary  of  New  South 
"Wales. 

In  less  time  almost  than  it  takes  to  tell  we  had  cast 
loose  the  ropes  which  bound  him,  and  then  led  him — for 
he  was  too  weak  to  stand  alone — out  into  the  open  air. 
While  he  was  resting  he  inquired  after  his  daughter,  and, 
having  learned  of  her  safety,  gave  us  the  following  expla 
nation.  Addressing  himself  to  me,  he  said : 

"  When  you  called  '  Make  for  the  boats ! '  I  ran  up  the 
hill  with  the  others  as  fast  as  I  could  go.  But  I'm  an 
old  man,  and  could  not  get  along  as  fast  as  I  wanted  to, 
and  was  soon  left  far  behind.  I  was  half  way  down  the 
hill,  perhaps,  when  a  tall  man,  dressed  in  white,  stepped 
from  behind  a  bush  and,  raising  a  rifle,  bade  me  come 
to  a  standstill.  Having  no  time  to  lift  my  own  weapon, 
I  was  obliged  to  do  as  he  ordered  me,  and  he  thereupon 
told  me  to  lay  down  my  rifle  and  right  about  face.  In 


CONCLUSION.  295 

this  fashion  I  was  marched  back  to  the  huts,  and  then, 
another  man  having  joined  my  captor,  across  the  island 
to  this  beach,  where  a  boat  was  in  waiting.  In  this  I 
was  pulled  out  to  a  small  schooner  lying  at  anchor  in 
the  bay,  and  ordered  to  board  her.  Five  minutes  later 
I  was  conducted  to  the  saloon,  where  two  or  three  per 
sons  were  collected. 

" '  Good  evening,  Mr.  Wetherell,  this  is  indeed  a 
pleasure ! '  said  a  man  sitting  at  the  end  of  the  table 
playing  with  a  big  black  cat.  Directly  I  heard  his  voice 
I  knew  that  I  was  in  the  presence  of  Dr.  Nikola. 

" '  And  what  do  you  think  I  atn  going  to  do  with  you, 
my  friend?'  he  said,  when  I  made  no  reply  to  his 
remark. 

" '  You  dare  not  do  anything,'  I  replied ;  '  I  demand 
that  you  shall  let  me  go  this  instant.' 

"  '  If  you  will  be  warned  by  me  you  will  cease  to  de 
mand,'  he  answered,  his  eyes  the  while  burning  like 
live  coals.  '  Though  you  have  put  me  to  much  trouble 
and  expense  I  will  forgive  that  and  come  to  terms  with 
you.  Give  me ' 

"  At  that  moment  the  little  vessel  gave  a  heavy  roll, 
and  in  trying  to  keep  my  footing  on  the  sloping  deck  I 
fell  over  upon  the  table.  As  I  did  so,  the  little  Chinese 
stick  slipped  out  of  my  pocket  and  went  rolling  along 
the  table  almost  into  Nikola's  hands.  He  sprang  for 
ward  and  seized  it,  and  you  may  imagine  his  delight. 
With  a  cry  of  triumph  that  made  the  cat  leap  from  his 
shoulder,  he  turned  to  a  tall  man  by  his  side  and  said  : 

" '  Let  a  boat's  crew  take  this  man  ashore  and  tie  him 
to  the  stake  in  the  cave.  Then  devise  some  means  of 
letting  his  friends  know  his  whereabouts.  Be  quick, 
for  we  sail  in  an  hour.'  Then  turning  to  me  again  he 
said  : 


296  A   BID   FOR  FORTUNE. 

" '  Mr.  Wetherell,  this  is  the  last  transaction  we  shall 
probably  ever  have  together.  All  things  considered, 
you  are  lucky  in  escaping  so  easily.  I  congratulate  you 
upon  your  charming  daughter.  Now,  good-bye  ;  in  an 
hour  I  am  off  to  effect  a  coup  with  this  stick,  the  mag 
nitude  of  which  you  would  never  dream.  One  last 
word  of  advice — Pause  a  second  time,  I  entreat  you, 
before  you  think  of  trying  to  balk  Dr.  Nikola.' 

"  I  was  then  led  upon  deck,  where  that  scoundrel 
Baxter  had  the  impudence  to  make  me  a  low  bow,  and 
in  less  than  half  an  hour  I  was  fastened  to  the  post 
in  that  cave.  The  rest  you  know.  Now  let  us  get  on 
board.  I  see  the  boat  is  approaching." 

As  soon,  therefore,  as  the  surf  boat  had  drawn  up 
on  the  beach  we  embarked  upon  her  and  were  pulled 
out  to  the  yacht.  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  we  were  on 
deck,  and  Phyllis  was  in  her  father's  arms  again.  Over 
that  meeting,  with  its  rapturous  embraces  and  general 
congratulations,  I  must  draw  a  curtain.  Suffice  it  that 
by  midday  the  island  had  disappeared  under  the  sea 
line  and  we  were  well  on  our  way  back  to  Sydney. 

That  evening,  after  dinner,  Phyllis  and  I  patrolled 
the  deck  and  finally  came  to  a  standstill  aft.  It  was  as 
beautiful  an  evening  as  any  man  or  woman  could  wish 
for.  All  round  us  was  the  glassy  sea,  while  overhead 
the  Tropic  stars  shone  down  with  radiant  brilliance. 

"  Phyllis,"  I  said,  taking  my  darling's  hand  and 
looking  into  her  face,  "  what  a  series  of  adventures  we 
have  both  passed  through  since  that  afternoon  I  first 
saw  you  in  the  Domain  !  Do  you  know  your  father  has 
now  consented  to  our  marriage  ?  " 

"It  is  to  you,  Dick,  I  owe  my  rescue,"  said  she, 
coming  a  little  closer  to  me.  "  You  have  a  perfect  right 
to  me,  for  you  have  won  me  nobly." 


CONCLUSION.  297 

"Hush!"  I  answered,  "you  must  not  say  that.  If 
anything  had  happened  to  you  I  should  never  have  been 
happy  again." 

"  But,  Dick,  there  is  one  thing  I  don't  understand. 
At  dinner  this  evening  the  captain  addressed  you  as 
Sir  Kichard — what  does  that  mean  ?  " 

"  Well,  it  means  this :  that  though  I  cannot  make 
you  a  duchess,  I  can  make  you  a  baronet's  wife.  It 
remains  with  you  to  say  whether  you  will  be  Lady  Hat- 
teras  or  not." 

"  But  are  you  a  baronet,  Dick  ?  How  did  that  come 
about?" 

"  I'll  tell  you.  Do  you  remember  my  writing  to  you 
of  the  strange  call  I  paid  when  in  England  on  my  only 
two  relatives  in  the  world  ?  " 

"  The  old  man  and  his  daughter  in  the  New  Forest? 
Yes,  I  remember." 

"Well  they  are  dead,  and,  as  the  next  of  kin,  I 
have  inherited  the  title  and  the  estates.  What  do  you 
think  of  that?" 

Her  only  reply  was  to  kiss  me  softly  on  the  cheek. 

She  had  scarcely  done  so  before  her  father  and 
Beckenham  came  along  the  deck  towards  us. 

"Now,  Phyllis,"  said  the  former,  leading  her  to  a 
seat,  "  suppose  you  give  us  the  history  of  your  adven 
tures.  Eemember  we  have  heard  nothing  yet." 

"  Very  well.  Where  shall  I  begin  ?  At  the  moment 
I  left  the  house  for  the  ball?  Very  good.  Well,  you 
must  know  that  when  I  arrived  at  Government  House 
I  met  Mrs.  Mayford,  the  lady  who  had  promised  to 
chaperon  me,  in  the  cloak-room,  and  we  passed  into  the 
ball-room  together.  I  danced  the  first  dance  with  Cap 
tain  Hackworth,  one  of  the  aides,  and  engaged  myself 
for  the  fourth  to  the  Marquis  of  Beckenham." 


298  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

"  The  sham  marquis,  I'm  sorry  to  say,"  put  in  the 
real  one. 

"  Unfortunately  for  me  also,"  continued  Phyllis. 
"  As  it  was  a  square,  we  sat  it  out  in  the  ante-room  off 
the  drawing-room.  While  we  were  there  the  young 
gentleman,  I  must  tell  you,  did  me  the  honour  of  pro 
posing  to  me.  It  was  terribly  embarrassing,  but  I  al 
lowed  him  to  see  as  unmistakably  as  possible  that  I 
could  give  him  no  encouragement,  and,  as  the  intro 
duction  to  the  next  waltz  started,  we  parted  the  best  of 
friends.  About  half  an  hour  later,  just  as  I  was  going 
to  dance  the  lancers,  Mrs.  Mayford  came  towards  me 
and  drew  me  into  the  drawing-room.  Mr.  Baxter,  his 
Lordship's  tutor,  was  with  her  and  both  looked  super- 
naturally  grave. 

"  '  What  is  the  matter  ? '  I  asked,  being  alarmed  by 
her  face. 

"  '  My  dear,'  said  she, '  you  must  be  brave.  I  have 
come  to  tell  you  that  your  father  has  been  taken  seri 
ously  ill  and  has  sent  for  you.' 

" '  Papa  ill  ? '  I  cried.  '  Oh,  I  must  go  home  to  him 
at  once ! ' 

" '  I  have  facilitated  that,'  said  Mr.  Baxter,  '  by  or 
dering  the  servants  to  call  up  your  carriage,  which  is 
now  waiting  for  you  at  the  door.  If  you  will  allow  me 
I  will  conduct  you  to  it.' 

"  I  apologised  to  my  partner  for  leaving  him  and 
then  went  to  the  cloak-room.  As  soon  as  I  was  ready  I 
accompanied  Mr.  Baxter  to  the  door,  where  the  brougham 
was  waiting.  Without  looking  at  the  coachman,  I  got 
in,  at  the  same  time  thanking  Mr.  Baxter  for  his  kind 
ness.  He  shut  the  door  and  cried  '  Home ! '  to  the 
coachman.  Next  moment  we  were  spinning  down  the 
drive. 


CONCLUSION.  jj()S) 

"  As  I  was  too  much  occupied  thinking  of  you,  papa, 
I  did  not  notice  the  direction  we  were  taking,  and  it  was 
not  until  the  carriage  stopped  before  a  house  in  a  back 
street  that  I  realised  that  something  was  wrong.  Then 
the  door  was  opened  and  a  gentleman  in  evening  dress 
begged  me  to  alight.  I  did  so,  almost  without  think 
ing. 

" '  I  am  sorry  to  say  your  father  is  not  at  all  well, 
Miss  Wetherell,'  he  continued.  '  If  you  will  be  good 
enough  to  step  into  my  house  I  will  let  the  nurse  take 
you  to  him.' 

"  Like  a  person  in  a  dream  I  followed  him  into  the 
house  and  the  door  was  then  shut  upon  me. 

" '  Where  is  my  father,  and  how  is  it  that  he  is 
here?'  I  cried,  beginning  to  get  frightened. 

" '  You  will  know  all  when  you  see  him,'  said  my 
companion,  throwing  open  the  door  of  a  room.  I  went 
in,  and  that  door  was  also  shut  upon  me.  Then  I 
turned  and  faced  the  man." 

"  What  was  he  like  ?" 

"  He  was  the  man  you  were  telling  us  about  at  din 
ner — Dr.  ISTikola." 

"  Ah  !     And  then  ?  " 

"He  politely  but  firmly  informed  me  that  I  was  his 
prisoner,  and  that  until  you  did  certain  things  he  would 
be  compelled  to  detain  me.  I  threatened,  entreated, 
and  finally  wept.  But  he  was  not  to  be  moved.  He 
promised  that  no  effort  should  be  spared  to  make  me 
comfortable,  but  he  could  not  let  me  go  free.  And  so  I 
was  kept  there  until  late  one  night,  when  I  was  in 
formed  that  I  must  be  ready  to  leave  the  house.  A 
brougham  was  at  the  door,  and  in  this,  securely  guarded, 
I  was  conducted  to  the  harbour  where  a  boat  was  in 
waiting.  In  this  we  were  rowed  out  to  _a  schooner  and 
20 


300  A  BID  FOR  FORTUNE. 

I  was  placed  aboard  her.  A  neatly  arranged  cabin  was 
allotted  to  me  and  everything  I  could  possibly  want  was 
given  me.  But  I  could  gather  nothing  of  where  we  were 
going  or  what  my  fate  was  to  be.  About  midnight  we 
got  under  weigh  and  commenced  our  voyage.  Our  des 
tination  was  the  island  where  you  found  me." 

"  And  how  did  Nikola  treat  you  during  the  voyage 
and  your  stay  on  Pipa  Lannu  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  With  invariable  courtesy,"  she  replied.  "  A  more 
admirable  host  no  one  could  desire.  I  had  but  to  ex 
press  a  wish  for  anything  and  it  was  instantly  forth 
coming.  When  we  were  clear  of  land  I  was  allowed  on 
deck,  my  meals  were  served  to  me  in  a  cabin  adjoining 
my  own,  and  a  stewardess  was  there  to  wait  upon  me. 
As  far  as  my  own  personal  treatment  went  I  have 
nothing  to  complain  of.  But  I  was  so  thankful  to  get 
away.  I  had  begun  to  imagine  all  sorts  of  horrors." 

"  Well,  thank  goodness,  it's  all  done  with  now ! " 

And  so  it  was,  for  a  week  later  we  were  back  in 
Sydney  again,  and  the  eventful  voyage  was  over. 

Then  came  our  marriage.  But  with  your  permis 
sion  I  will  only  give  you  a  bare  outline  of  it.  It  took 
place  at  the  Cathedral,  the  Primate  officiating.  The 
Marquis  was  kind  enough  to  act  as  my  best  man,  while 
the  Colonial  Secretary  of  course  gave  his  daughter 
away.  But  now  I  think  of  it,  there  is  one  point  I 
must  touch  upon  in  connection  with  this  happy  occa 
sion,  and  that  was  the  arrival  of  a  present  on  the  even 
ing  prior  to  the  event. 

We  were  sitting  in  the  drawing-room  when  the  but- 
•ler-brouglit  in  a  square  parcel  on  a  salver  and  handed  it 
to  Phyllis. 

"Another  present,  I  expect,"  she  said,  and  began  to 
untie  the  string  that  bound  it. 


CONCLUSION.  301 

When  the  first  cover  was  removed  a  layer  of  tissue 
paper  revealed  itself,  and  after  that  a  large  Eussia  leather 
case  came  into  view.  On  pressing  the  spring  the  cover 
lifted  and  revealed  a  superb  collet,  as  I  believe  it  is 
called,  of  diamonds,  and  resting  against  the  lid  a  small 
card  bearing  this  inscription  : 

"  With   heartiest   congratulations  and  best   wishes    to 

Lady  Hatteras, 

"  From  her  sincere  admirer, 

"  Dr.  Nikola" 

Now  what  do  you  think  of  that  ? 

Well,  to  bring  my  story  to  a  close,  the  event  passed 
off  with  considerable  eclat.  We  spent  our  honeymoon 
on  the  Blue  Mountains,  and  a  fortnight  later  sailed 
once  more  for  England  in  the  "  Orizaba."  Both  Mr. 
Wetherell,  who  has  now  resigned  office,  and  the  Mar 
quis  of  Beckenham,  accompanied  us,  and  it  was  to  the 
latter's  seaside  residence  that  we  went  immediately  on 
our  arrival  in  the  mother  country.  My  own  New  For 
est  home  is  being  thoroughly  renovated,  and  will  be 
ready  for  occupation  in  the  spring. 

Of  Nikola,  Baxter,  Eastover,  or  Prendergast  I  have 
never  heard  since.  What  gigantic  coup  the  first-named 
intends  to  accomplish  with  the  little  Chinese  stick  is 
beyond  my  power  to  tell.  I  am  thankful,  however,  to 
feel  that  I  am  not  in  any  way  concerned  in  it.  And  so 
I  ring  the  curtain  down  upon  the  narrative  of  my  ex 
traordinary  Bid  for  Fortune. 

THE    END. 


APPLETONS'   TOWN   AND   COUNTRY  LIBRARY. 

PUBLISHED  SEMIMONTHLY. 


1.  The  Steel  Hammer.    By  Louis  ULBACH. 

2.  Eve.    A  Novel.    By  8.  BARING-GOULD. 

3.  For  Fifteen  Years.    A  Sequel  to  The  Steel  Hammer.    By  Louis  ULBACH. 

4.  A  Counsel  of  Perfection.    A  Novel.    By  LUCAS  MALBT. 

5.  The  Deemster.    A  Romance.    By  HALL  CAINK. 

6.  A  Virginia  Inheritance.    By  EDMUND  PENDLETON-. 

7.  Ninette :  An  Idyll  of  Provence.    By  tbe  author  of  Vera. 

8.  "  The  Right  Honourable."   By  JUSTIN  MCCARTHY  and  Mrs.  CAMPBELL-PBAED. 

9.  The  Silence  of  Dean  Maitland.    By  MAXWELL  GRAY. 

10.  Mrs.  Larimer :  A  Study  in  Black  and  White.    By  LUCAS  MALET. 

11.  The  Elect  Lady.    By  GEORGE  MACDONALD. 

12.  The  Mystery  of  the"  Ocean  Star."    By  W.  CLARK  RUSSELL. 

13.  Aristocracy.    A  Novel. 

14.  A  Recoiling  Vengeance.    By  FRANK  BARRETT.    With  Illustrations. 

15.  The  Secret  of  Fontaine-la-  Croix.    By  MARGARET  FIELD. 
10.  The  Master  of  Rathkelly.    By  HAWLEY  SMART. 

17.  Donovan:  A  Modern  Englishman.    By  EDNA  LYALL. 

18.  This  Mortal  Coil.    By  GRANT  ALLEN. 

19.  A  Fair  Emigrant.    By  ROSA  MULHOLLAND. 

20.  The  Apostate.    By  ERNEST  DAUDET. 

21.  Raleigh  Westgate ;  or,  Epimenides  in  Maine.    By  HELEN  KEN  BRICK  JOHNSON. 

22.  Arius  the  Libyan :  A  Romance  of  the  Primitive  Church. 

23.  Constance,  and  Galoot's  Riojl.    By  JULIAN  HAWTHORNE. 

24.  We  Two.    By  EDNA  LYALL. 

25.  A  Dreamer  of  Dreams.    By  the  author  of  Thoth. 

26.  The  Ladies'  Gallery.    By  JUSTIN  MCCARTHY  and  Mrs.  CAMPBELL-PRAKD. 

27.  The  Reproach  of  Annesley.    By  MAXWELL  GRAY. 

28.  Near  to  Happiness. 

29.  In  the  Wire-  Grass.    By  Louis  PENDLETON. 

30.  Lace.    A  Berlin  Romance.    By  PAUL  LINDAU. 

31.  American  Coin.    A  Novel.    By  the  author  of  Aristocracy. 

32.  Won  by  Waiting.    By  EDNA  LYALL. 

33.  The  Story  of  Helen  Davenant.    By  VIOLET  FANE. 

34.  The  Light  of  Her  Countenance.    By  H.  H.  BOYESEN. 

35.  Mistress  Beatrice  Cope.    By  M.  E.  LE  CLERC. 
86.  The  Kniiiht-Ei'rant.    By  EDNA  LYALL. 

37.  In  the  Golden  Days.    By  EDNA  LYALL. 

38.  Giraldi ;  or,  The  Curse  of  Love.    By  Ross  GEORGE  BERING. 

39.  A  Hardy  Norseman.    By  EDNA  LYALL. 

40.  The  Romance  of  Jenny  Harlowe,  and  Sketches  of  Maritime  Life.     By  W. 

CLARK  RUSSELL. 

41.  Passion's  Slave.    By  RICHARD  ASHE-KING. 

42.  The  Awakening  of  Mary  Fenwick.    By  BEATRICE  WHITBY. 

43.  Countess  Loreley.    Translated  from  the  German  of  RUDOLF  MENOER. 
41.  Blind  Love.    By  WILKIE  COLLINS. 

45.  The  Dean's  Daughter.    By  SOPHIE  F.  F.  VEITCH. 

46.  Countes?  Irene.    A  Romance  of  Austrian  Life.    By  J.  FOGERTY. 

47.  Robert  Browning's  Principal  Shorter  Poems. 

48.  Frozen  Hearts.    By  G.  WEBB  APPLETON. 

49.  Djambek  the  Georgian.    By  A.  G.  VON  SUTTTJER. 

50.  The  Craz"  of  Christian  Enyelfiart.    By  HENRY  FAULKNER  DARXEIA,. 

51.  Lai.    By  WILLIAM  A.  HAMMOND,  M.  D. 

52.  Aline     A  Novel.    By  HENRY  GREVILLE. 

53.  Joost  Avelingh.    A  Dutch  Story.    By  MAARTEN  MAARTKNS. 
>4.  Katy  of  Catoctin.    By  GEORGE  ALFRED  TOWNSEND. 

55.  ThrockiHwon.    A  Novel.    By  MOLLY  ELLIOT  SEA  WELL. 


56    Expatriation.    By  the  author  of  Aristocracy. 
fi7.  Geoffrty  Uampstead.    By  T.  S.  JABVIS. 


APPLE-TONS'  TOWN  AND  COUNTRY  LIBRARY.— (Continued) 

58.  Dmitri.    A  Romance  of  Old  Russia.    By  F.  W.  BAIN,  M.  A. 

59.  Part  of 'the  Property '.    By  BEATRICE  WIIIT BY. 

60.  Bismarck  in  Private  Life.    By  a  Fellow-Student. 

61.  In  Low  Relief.    By  MOBLET  ROBERTS. 

62.  The  Canadians  of  Old.    A  Historical  Romance.    By  PHILIPPE  GAsrfi. 

63.  A  Squire  of  Low  Degree.    By  LILY  A.  LONG. 

6<    A  Fluttered  Dovecote.    By  GEOKOE  MANVILLE  FENN. 

65.  The  Nugent*  of  Ourrico/uiu.    An  Irish  Story.    By  TIGHE  HOPKINS. 

66.  A  Sensitive  Plant.    By  E.  and  D.  GERARD. 

67.  Dona  Luz.    By  JUAN  VALERA.    Translated  by  Mrs.  MARY  J.  SERRANO. 

68.  Pepita  Ximenez.    By  JUAN  VALERA.    Translated  by  Mrs.  MARY  J.  HERRANO 

69.  The  Primes  and  their  Neighbors.     By  RICHARD  MALCOLM  JOHNSTON. 

70.  The  Iron  Game.    By  HENRY  F.  KEENAN. 

71.  Stories -of  Old  New  Spain.    By  THOMAS  A.  JANVIER. 

72.  The  Maid  of  Honor.    By  Hon.  LEWIS  WINGFIELD. 

73.  In  the  Heart  of  the  Storm.    By  MAXWELL  GRAY. 

74.  Consequences.    By  EGERTON  CASTLE. 

75.  The  Three  Miss  A'injs.    By  ADA  CAMBRIDGE. 

76.  A  Matter  of  Skill.    By  BEATRICE  WHITBY. 

77.  Maid  Manan,  and  other  Stories.    By  MOLLY  ELLIOT  SEAWELL. 

78.  One  Woman's  Way.    By  EDMUND  PENDLETON. 

79.  A  Merciful  Divorce.    By  F.  W.  MAUDE. 

80.  Stephen  EUicott's  Daughter.    By  Mrs.  J.  H.  NEEDELL. 

81.  One  Reason  Why.    By  BEATRICE  WHITBY. 

82.  The  Tragedy  of  Ida  Noble.    By  Vf  CLARK  RUSSELL. 

83.  The  Johnstown  Stage,  and  other  Stories.    By  ROBERT  H.  FLETCHER. 

84.  A  Widower  Indeed.    By  RHODA  BROUGHTON  and  ELIZABETH  BISLAND. 

85.  The  Flight  of  the  Shadow.    By  GEORGE  MACDONALD. 

86.  Love  or  Money.    By  KATHARINE  LEE. 

87.  Not  All  in  Vain.    By  ADA  CAMBRIDGE. 

88.  It  Happened  Yesterday.    By  FREDERICK  MARSHALL. 

89.  My  Guardian.    By  ADA  CAMBRIDGE. 

90.  The  Story  of  Philip  Methuen.    By  Mrs.  J.  H.  NEEDELL. 

91.  Amethyst:  The  Story  of  a  Beanty,    By  CHRISTABEL  R.  COLERIDOE. 

92.  Don  Braulio.    By  JUAN  VALERA.    Translated  by  CLARA  BELL. 

93.  The  Chronicles  of  Mr.  Bill  Williams.    By  RICHARD  MALCOLM  JOHNSTON. 

94.  A  Queen  of  Curds  and  Cream.    By  DOROTHEA  GERARD. 

95.  "  La  Bella  "  and  Others.    By  EGERTON  CASTLE. 

96.  "  December  Roses."    By  Mrs.  CAMPBELL-PRAED. 

97.  Jean  de  Kerdren.    By  JEANNE  SCHULTZ. 

98.  Etelka's  Vow.    By  DOROTHEA  GERARD. 

99.  Cross  Currents.    By  MARY  A.  DICKENS. 

100.  His  Life's  Magnet.    By  THEODORA  ELMSLIB. 

101 .  Passing  the  Love  of  Women.    By  Mrs.  J.  H.  NEEDELL. 
IftJ.  In  Old  St.  Stephen's.     By  JEANIE  DRAKE. 

103.  The  Berkeleys  and  their  Neighbors.    By  MOLLY  ELLIOT  SEAWEUT 

104.  Mona  Maclean,  Medical  Student.    By  GRAHAM  THAVERS. 

105.  Mrs.  Bligh.    By  RHODA  BUOUGHTON. 

106.  A  Stumble  on  the  Threshold.    By  JAMES  PAYN. 

107.  Hanging  Moss.    By  PAUL  LINDAU. 

108.  A  Comedy  of  Elopement.    By  CHRISTIAN  REID. 

100.  In  the  Suntime  of  her  Youth.    By  BEATRICE  WHITBY. 

110.  Stories  in  Black  and  White.    By  THOMAS  HARDY  and  Others. 
110}.  An  Englishman  in  Paris.    Notes  and  Recollections. 

111.  Commander  Mendoza.    By  JUAN  VALERA. 

112.  Dr.  PaulTs  Theory.    By  Mrs.  A.  M.  DIKHL. 

113.  Children  of  Destiny.    By  MOLLY  ELLIOT  SEAWELL. 

114.  A  Little  Minx.    By  ADA  CAMBRIDGE. 

115.  Capfn  Davy's  Honeymoon.    By  HALL  CAINE. 

116.  The  Voice  of  a  Flower.    By  E.  GERARD. 

117.  Singularly  Deluded.    By  SARAH  GRAND. 

118.  Suspected,    By  LOUISA  STRATENUS. 

119.  Lucia.  Hugh,  and  Another.    By  Mrs.  J.  H.  NEEDELI.. 
UO.   The  Tutors  Secret.    By  VICTOR  CHERBULIEZ. 


APPLE-TONS'  TOWN  AND  COUNTRY  LIBRARY.— (Continued.) 

121.  From  the  Five  Rivers.    By  Mrs.  F.  A.  STEEL. 

122.  An  Innocent  Impostor,  and  Other  Stoiies.    By  MAXWELL  GBAT. 

123.  Ideala.    By  SARAH  GRAND. 

124.  A  Comedy  of  MOSKS,    Bv  ERNEST  DOWSON  and  ARTHUR  Moons. 

125.  Relics.    By  FRANCES  MACMAB. 

126.  Dodo:  A  Detail  of  the  Day.    By  E.  F.  BENSON. 

127.  A  Woman  of  Forty.    By  ESME  STUART. 

128.  Diana  Tetnpest.    By  MART  CHOLMONDELEY. 

129.  The  Recipe  for  Diamonds.    By  c.  J.  CUTCXIFFE  HTNE. 

130.  Christina  Chard.    By  Mis.  CAMFBELL-PRAED. 

131.  A  Gray  Eye  or  So.    By  FRANK  FRANKFORT  MOORE. 

132.  Earlscourt.    By  ALEXANDER  ALLARDTCE. 
183.  A  Marriage  Ceremony.     By  ADA  CAMBRIDGE. 

134.  A  Ward  in  Chancery.    By  Mrs.  ALEXANDER 

135.  Lot  13.    By  DOROTHEA  GERARD. 

136.  Our  Manifold  Mature.     By  SARAH  GRAND. 

137.  A  Costly  Freak.    By  MAXWELL  GRAY. 

138.  A  lief/inner.    By  RHODA  BROUGUTON. 

139.  A  Yellow  Aster.    By  Mrs.  MANNINGTON  CAFPTN  ("  IOTA*'). 

140.  The  Rubicon.    By  E.  F.  BENSON. 

141.  The  Trespasser.    By  GILBERT  PARKER. 

142.  The  Rich  Mis*  Riddell.    By  DOROTHEA  GEKARD. 

143.  Mary  FenwicK's  Daughter.    By  BEATRICE  WHITBY. 

144.  Red  Diamonds.    By  JUSTIN  MCCARTHY. 

145.  A  Daughter  of  Music.    By  G.  COLMORE. 

146.  Outlaw  and  Lawmaker.     By  Mrs.  CAMPBELL-PRAED. 

147.  Dr.  Janet  of  Harley  Street.    By  ARABELLA  KENEALY. 

148.  George  Mandeville's  Husband.    By  C.  E.  RAIHOND. 

149.  Vash'ti  and  Esther. 

150.  Timar's  Two  Worlds.    By  M.  JOKAI. 

151.  A  Victim  of  Good  Luck.     By  W.  E.  NORRIS. 

152.  The  Trail 'of  the  Sword.    By  GILBERT  PARKEB. 

153.  A  Mild  Barbarian.    By  EDGAR  FAWCETT. 

154.  The  God  in  the  Car.    By  ANTHONY  HOPE. 

155.  Children  of  Circumstance.     By  Mrs.  M.  CAFFTN  ("  IOTA"). 

156.  At  the  Gate  of_  Samaria.     By  WILLIAM  J.  LOCKE. 

157.  The  Justification  of  Andrew  Ltbrun.    By  FRANK  EAKUETT. 

158.  Dust  and  Laurels.    By  MARY  L.  TENDERED. 

159.  Thf  Good  Ship  Mohock.    By  W.  CLARK  RUSSELL. 

160.  Noe.'ni.    By  S.  BARING-GOULD. 

161.  The  Honour  of  Savelli.     By  S.  LEVETT  YEATS. 

162.  Kitty's  Engagement.    By  FLORENCE  WARDEN. 

163.  The  Mermaid.    By  L.  DOUGALL. 

164.  An  Arranged  Marriage.    By  DOROTHEA  GERARD. 

165.  Ece's  Ransom.    By  GEORGE  GISSING. 

166.  The  Marriage  of  Esther.    By  GUY  BOOTHBY. 

167.  Fidelis.    By  ADA  CAMBRIDGE. 

168.  Into  the  Highways  and  Hedges.    By  F.  F.  MONTFBSOR. 

169.  The  Vengeance  of  James  Vansittart.     By  Mrs.  J.  H.  NEEDELL. 

170.  A  Study  in  Prejudice*.     By  GEORGE  PASTON. 

171.  The  Mistress  of  Quest.    By  ADELINE  SERGEANT. 

172.  In  the  Year  of  Jubilee.    By  GEORG'-:  GISSING. 

173.  In  Old  New  England.     By  HEZEKIAH  BUTTERWORTH. 

174.  Mrs.  Musgrave—and  Her  Hvsband.    By  RICHARD  MAKSH. 

175.  Not  Counting  the  Cost.    By  TASMA. 

170.  Out  of  Due  Season.    By  ADELINE  SERGEANT. 

177.  Scylla  or  Charybdis  ?  '  By  RHODA  BROUGHTON. 

178.  In  Defiance  of  the  King.    By  C.  C'.  HOTCHKISS. 


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ANY  INVENTIONS.     By  RUDYARD   KIPLINU. 

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n  which  none  of  his  contemporaries  approach  him — the  ability  to  select  out  of  countless 
letails  the  few  vital  ones  which  create  the  finished  picture.  He  knows  how,  wiih  a 
phrase  or  a  word,  to  make  you  see  his  characters  as  he  sees  them,  to  make  you  fee) 
the  full  meaning  of  a  dramatic  situation." — New  York  'Iribune. 

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with  pleasure  sentences  from  almost  every  page,  and  extract  incidents  from  almost 
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Riven  us  in  workmanship,  the  weightiest  and  most  humane  in  breadth  of  view." — 
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everybody  to  buy  '  .Many  Inventions,'  and  to  profit  by  some  of  the  best  entertainment 
that  moder.i  fiction  has  to  offer.  "—New  York  Suit. 

"  '  Many  Inventions  '  will  be  welcomed  wherever  the  English  language  is  spoken. 
.  .  .  Every  one  of  the  stories  bears  the  imprint  of  a  master  who  conjures  up  incident 
as  if  by  magic,  and  who  portrays  character,  scenery,  and  feeling  with  an  ease  which  is 
only  exceeded  by  the  boldness  of  force." — Boston  Globe. 

"The  book  will  get  and  hold  the  closest  attention  of  the  reader." — American 
Bookseller. 

"Mr.  Rudyard  Kipling's  place  in  the  world  of  letters  is  unique.  He  sits  quite  al<  .of 
and  alone,  the  incomparable  and  inimitable  master  of  the  exquisitely  fine  art  of  short- 
story  writing.  Mr.  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  has  perhaps  written  several  tales  wliich 
match  the  run  of  Mr.  Kipling's  work,  but  the  best  of  Mr.  Kipling's  tales  are  matchless, 
and  his  latest  collection,  'Many  Inventions,'  contains  several  such." — Philadelphia 
Press. 

"Of  late  essays  in  fiction  the  work  of  Kipling  can  be  comoared  to  only  three— 
Blackmore's  '  Lorna  Donne,'  Stevenson's  marvelous  sketch  of  Villon  in  the  '  New 
Arabian  Nights,"  and  Thomas  Hardy's  '  Tess  of  the  .D'Urbervilles.'  .  .  .  It  is  probably 
owing  to  this  extreme  care  that  '  Many  Inventions  '  is  undoubtedly  Mr.  Kipling's  best 
book." — Chicago  Post. 

"  Mr.  Kipling's  style  is  too  well  known  to  American  readers  to  require  introduction, 
but  it  can  scarcely  be  amiss  to  say  there  is  not  a  story  in  this  collection  that  does  not 
more  than  repay  a  perusal  of  them  all." — Baltimore  American. 

"  As  a  writer  of  short  stories  Rudyard  Kipling  is  a  genius.     He  has  had  imitators, 


Herald. 

"How  clever  he  is!  This  must  always  be  the  first  thought  on  reading  such  a 
collection  of  Kipling's  stories.  Here  is  art— art  of  the  most  consummate  sort  Com 
pared  with  this,  the  stories  of  our  brightest  young  writers  become  commonplace.  "  — 
New  York  Evangelist. 

"  Taking  the  group  as  a  whole,  it  may  be  said  that  the  execution  is  up  to  his  best 
in  the  past,  while  two  or  three  sketches  surpass  in  rounaed  strength  and  vividness  ut 
imagination  anything  else  he  has  done." — Hartford  Covrant. 

"Fifteen  more  extraordinary  sketches,  without  a  ting-  of  sensationalism,  it  would 
">e  hard  to  find.  .  .  .  Every  one  has  an  individuality  of  :ls  own  which  fascinates  tbo 
ifider." — Boston  Times. 


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HE   LILAC  SUNBONNET.     A  Love  Story. 

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beau  iful  woman;  and  if  any  other  love  story  half  so  sweet  has  been  wiitten  this  year, 
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Boston  Beacon. 

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humor,  such  delicate  fincy,  such  true  and  sympathetic  feeling,  that  nothing  more 
could  be  desired." — Boston  Traveller. 

"  A  charming  love  story,  redolent  of  the  banks  and  braes  and  lochs  and  pines, 
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Jl/TAJESTY.    A  Novel.     By  Louis  COUPERUS.    Trans- 
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"  Clever  and  cynicil,  full  of  epigrams  and  wit,  bright  with  keen  delineations  of 
character,  and  with  a  shrewd  insight  into  hie." — Newark  Advertiser. 

/]    FLASH   OF  SUMMER.     By  Mrs.  W.  K.  CLIF- 
•*^*     FORD,  author  of  "  Love  Letters  of  a  Worldly  Woman,"  "Aunt 
Anne,"  etc.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

"  The  story  is  well  written  and  interesting,  the  style  is  limpid  and  pure  as  fresh 
water,  and  is  so  arti  ;tically  done  that  it  is  only  a  second  thought  that  notices  it."— San 
fr'rancisco  Call. 

"  Will  attract,  a  wide  circle  of  admirers.  It  is  a  charming  novel  in  every  way.  The 
characters  are  living  ones,  and  the  incidents  are  so  cleverly  worked  out  that  one  recog 
nizes  the  hand  of  a  master  in  the  work." — Columbus  Dispatrk. 

1\/T AELCIIO.      By  the  Hon.  EMILY  LAWLESS,  author 
•**•*  of  "Crania,"  "  Hurrish,"  etc.     I2mo.      Cloth.  $1.50. 

"  A  paradox  of  liteiary  genius.  It  is  not  a  history,  and  yet  has  more  of  the  stuff 
of  history  in  it,  more  of  the  true  national  character  and  fate,  than  any  historical  mono 
graph  we  know.  It  is  not  a  novel,  and  yet  fascinates  us  more  than  any  novel." — 
London  Spectator. 

"  Abounds  in  thrilling  incidents.  .  .  .  Above  and  beyond  all,  the  book  charms  by 
reason  of  the  breadth  of  view,  the  magnanimity,  and  the  tenderness  which  animate  the 
author." — London  A thenceum. 


I 


N  THE  FIRE  OF  THE  FORGE.  A  Romance 
of  Old  Nuremberg  By  GEORG  EBERS,  author  of  "  Cleopatra," 
"  An  Egyptian  Princess,"  etc.  In  2  vols.  i6mo.  Paper,  80 
cents ;  cloth,  $1.50. 

'  A  delightful  and  stirring  romance  of  that  wonderful  old  city  of  Nuremberg  in  the 
time  of  Emperor  Rudolph.  ...  A  romance  that  needs  no  startling  ddnoument  to 
commend  it  or  to  sustain  its  even  measure  of  interest." — Boston  Herald. 

"A  quiet,  refined  story.  Though  the  incidents  are  never  startling,  they  are  strong 
enough  to  hold  the  reader's  attention  throughout." — New  York  Times. 


New  York  :  D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  72  Fifth  Avenue. 


D.   APPLETON  &   CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

/IN  IMAGINATIVE  MAN.  By  ROBERT  S. 
^*-  HICHENS,  author  of  "The  Green  Carnation."  12010.  Cloth, 

$1.25. 

"  One  ot  the  brightest  books  of  the  year."— Boston  Budget. 

"  Altogether  delightful,  fascinating,  unusual."— Cleveland  Amusement  Gazette. 

"A  study  in  character.  .  .  .  Just  as  entertaining  as  though  it  were  the  conven 
tional  story  of  love  and  marriage.  The  clever  hand  of  the  author  ot  '  The  Green 
Carnation'  is  easily  detected  in  the  caustic  wit  and  pointed  epigram  "—Jeaiinette  L 
Gi.de>,  in  the  New  York  World. 


M 


ASTER  AND  MAN.     By  Count  LEO  TOLSTOY. 
i6mo.     Cloth,  75  cents. 

"Crowded  with  these  characteristic  touches  which  mark  his  literary  work." — 
Public  Opinion. 

"From  the  very  start  the  reader  feels  that  it  is  from  a  master's  pen."— Boston 
Time\. 

"Reveals  a  wonderful  knowledge  of  the  workings  of  the  human  mind,  and  it  tells  a 
tale  that  not  only  stirs  the  emotions,  but  gives  us  a  better  insight  into  our  own  hearts." 
—San  Francisco  A  rgoitaut. 


T 


HE   ZEIT-GEIST.      By  L.  DOUGALL,  author  of 
"  The  Mermaid,"  "  Beggars  All,"  etc.     i6mo.     Cloth,  75  cents. 

"  It  i;  impossible  for  one  to  read  it  without  feeling  better  for  having  done  so;  with 
out  having  a  desire  to  aid  his  fellow-men." — New  York  'limes. 

"One  of  the  best  of  ihe  short  stories  of  the  day." — Boston  Journal. 

"  One   of  the   most  remarkable   novels   of  the   year." — New   York   Commercial 
Advertiser. 

"Powerful  in  conception,  treatment,  and  influence." — Boston  Glote. 


T 


HE  LAND  OF  THE  SUN.  Vistas  Mexicanas. 
By  CHRISTIAN  REID,  author  of  "  The  Land  of  the  Sky,"  "  A 
Comedy  of  Elopement,"  etc.  Illustrated.  F2mo.  Cloth,  $1.75. 

"  Perhaps  no  book  of  recent  date  gives  a  simpler  and  at  the  same  time  more  effect 
ive  picture  of  this  truly  beautiful  '  land  of  the  sun  '  than  is  to  be  found  in  this  striking 
volume." — St.  Louis  Republic. 

"  One  of  the  most  charming  books  of  travel  that  we  have  read  for  a  long  time.  .  .  . 
Certainly  no  one  should  ever  think  of  visiting  Mexico  without  taking  this  book  of 
splendid  description  and  delightful  romance  with  him." — Boston  Home  Journal. 

"  He  who  would  see  the  grandeurs  of  Mexico  through  the  eyes  of  another  should 
give  careful  perusal  to  Christian  Reid's  portrayal  of  '  The  Land  of  the  Sun,'  which  in 
eveiy  detail  is  a  fitting  tribute  to  the  past,  present,  and  future  conditions  of  the  new 
Spain." — Chicago  Evening  Post. 


New  York  :    D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  72  Fifth  Avenue. 


D.   APPLETON  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

BOOKS  BY  MRS.  EVERARD  COTES  (SARA  JEANNETTE  DUNCAN). 
HE  STORY  OF  SONNY  SAHIB.     Illustrated. 

.     Cloth,  $1.00. 

This  little  romance  of  youthful  heroism  will  fascinate  older  and  younger  readers 
•like.     It  is  a  story  of  the  Indian  Mutiny  and  the  years  which  immediately  followed. 


*TT 

-* 


J7ERNON'S    AUNT.      With    many   Illustrations. 
*          I2mo.     Cloth,  $1.25. 

"  One  of  the  best  and  brightest  stories  of  the  period."  —  Chicago  Evening  Post. 

"  A  most  vivid  and  realistic  impression  of  certain  phases  of  life  in  India,  and  no  one 
can  read  her  vivacious  chronicle  without  indulging  in  many  a  hearty  laugh."—  Boston 
Beacon. 


A 


DAUGHTER  OF  TO-DAY.      A  Novel.     i2mo. 
Cloth,  $1.50. 

"  This  novel  is  a  strong  and  serious  piece  of  work  ;  one  of  a  kind  that  is  getting  too 
rare  in  ihese  days  of  universal  crankiness." — Boston  Courier. 

"A  jew  and  capital  story,  full  of  quiet,  happy  touches  of  humor." — Philadelphia 
Press. 


A 


SOCIAL  DEPARTURE:  How  Orthodocia  and  I 
IVent  Round  the  World  by  Ourselves.  With  ill  Illustrations 
by  F.  H.  TOWNSEND.  I2mo.  Paper,  75  cents  ;  cloth,  $1.75. 

"  It  is  to  be  doubted  whether  another  book  can  be  found  so  thoroughly  amusing 
from  beginning  to  end." — Boston  Daily  Advertiser. 

"  A  brighter,  merrier,  more  entirely  charming  book  would  be,  indeed,  difficult  to 
find." — St.  Louis  Republic. 


A 


N  AMERICAN  GIRL  IN  LONDON.  With  80 
Illustrations  by  F.  H.  TOWNSEND.  i2mo.  Paper,  75  cents ; 
cloth,  $1.50. 

"So  sprightly  a  book  as  this,  on  life  in  London  as  observed  by  an  American,  has 
never  before  been  written." — Philadelphia  Bulletin. 


T 


HE  SIMPLE  ADVENTURES  OF  A  MEM- 
SAHIB.  With  37  Illustrations  by  F.  H.  TOWNSEND.  i2mo. 
Cloth,  $1.50. 

"  It  is  like  traveling  without  leaving  one's  armchair  to  read  it  Miss  Duncan  has 
the  descriptive  and  narrative  gift  in  large  measure,  and  she  brings  vividly  before  us 
the  street  scenes,  the  interiors,  the  bewilderingly  queer  natives,  the  gayeties  of  the 
English  colony." — Philadelphia  Telegraph. 


New  York :  D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  72  Fifth  Avenue. 


D.  APPLETON  £   CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


NOVELS    BY    HALL   CAINE. 
MANXMAN.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

"A  story  of  marvelous  dramatic  intensity,  and  in  its  ethical  meaning  has  a  force 
comparable  only  to  Hawthorne's  '  Scarlet  Letter.'  " — Boston  Beacon. 

"A  work  of  power  which  is  another  stone  added  to  the  foundation  of  enduring  fame 
to  which  Mr.  Caine  is  yearly  adding."— Public  Opinion. 

"A  wonderfully  strong  study  of  character;  a  powerful  analysis  of  those  elements 
which  go  to  make  up  the  strength  and  weakness  of  a  man,  which  are  at  fierce  warfare 
within  the  same  breast;  contending  against  each  other,  as  it  were,  the  one  to  raise  him 
to  fame  and  power,  the  other  to  drag  him  down  10  degradation  and  shame.  Never  in 
the  whole  range  of  literature  have  we  seen  the  struggle  between  these  forces  for 
supremacy  over  the  man  more  powerfully,  more  realistically  delineated  than  Mr.  Caine 
pictures  it." — Boston  Home  Journal. 


T 


HE    DEEMSTER.      A     Romance    of  the   Isle    of 
Man.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

"Hall  Caine  has  already  given  us  some  very  strong  and  fine  work,  and  'The 
Deemster'  is  a  story  of  unusual  power.  .  .  .  Certain  passages  and  chapters  have  an 
intensely  dramatic  grasp,  and  hold  the  fascinated  reader  with  a  force  rarely  excited 
nowadays  in  literature.  '  —  The  Critic. 

"One  of  the  strongest  novels  which  has  appeared  in  many  a  day."  —  San  Fran 
cisco  Chronicle. 

"  Fascinates  the  mind  like  the  gathering  and  bursting  of  a  storm."  —  Illustrated 
London  News. 

"Deserves  to  be  ranked  among  the  remarkable  novels  of  the  fay."—Ctn'cago 
Times. 


BONDMAN.     New  edition,     izmo.     Cloth, 

$1-50. 

"  The  welcome  given  to  this  story  has  cheered  and  touched  me,  but  I  am  con 
scious  that,  to  win  a  reception  so  warm,  such  a  book  must  have  had  readers  who 
brought  to  it  as  much  as  they  took  away.  ...  I  have  called  my  story  a  saga,  merely 
because  it  follows  the  epic  method,  and  I  must  not  claim  for  it  at  any  point  the  weighty 
responsibility  of  history,  or  serious  obligations  to  the  world  of  fact.  But  it  matters  not 
to  me  what  Icelanders  may  call  '  The  Bondman,'  if  they  will  honor  me  by  reading  it  in 
the  open  hearted  spirit  and  with  the  free  mind  with  which  they  are  content  to  read  of 
Grettir  and  of  his  fights  with  the  Troll."  —  Front  the  Author's  Preface. 


DAVY'S    HONEYMOON.      A    Manx 
Yarn.     I2mo.     Paper,  50  cents  ;  cloth,  $1.00. 

"A  new  departure  by  this  author.  Unlike  his  previous  works,  this  little  tale  is 
almost  wholly  humorous,  with,  however,  a  current  of  pathos  underneath.  It  is  not 
always  that  an  author  can  succeed  equally  well  in  tragedy  and  in  comedy,  but  it  looks 
as  though  Mr.  Hal!  Caine  would  be  one  of  the  exceptions."  —  London  Literary 
World. 

"  It  is  pleasant  to  meet  the  author  of  '  The  Deemster  '  in  a  brightly  humorous  little 
story  like  this.  ...  It  shows  the  same  observation  of  Manx  character,  and  much  of 
the  same  artistic  slciU."  —  Philadelphia  Times. 


New  York :   D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  72  Fifth  Avenue. 


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DEC  1  4 1995 
CUE  2  Who 


